A man who was found hidden in a plane’s landing gear at a Paris airport is fighting for his life in hospital after suffering from “severe hypothermia”.
Local French news stations said that the man, believed to be in his 20s, flew from Oran Ahmed Ben Bella Airport (ORA) in Algeria on a Boeing 737 (Registered 7T-VKQ) operated by Air Algerie.
It is understood that the critically ill man landed at Paris Orly Airport (ORY) on December 28, 2023, at around 10.15 am local time, after a two-hour flight spent hidden in the aircraft’s landing gear.
According to French aviation website, Air Journal, he was discovered during routine maintenance checks between 10.30 and 11am.
Air transport police and emergency services provided immediate life-saving treatment before the man was rushed to hospital.
An airport source said that the man, who had no identification, “was alive but in a life-threatening condition because of severe hypothermia”.
FlightRadar24 data showed that the Air Algerie Boeing 737 reached an altitude of 36,000 feet, where temperatures would have dropped to –50 degrees Celsius.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), 77% of people who attempt to travel by hiding in a plane’s landing gear end up being killed.