Kenyan stowaway survives 19,000ft flight clinging to landing gear in sub-zero temperatures

A teenage Kenyan stowaway has survived a flight from London to Maastricht after climbing into the landing-gear bay area of the fuselage. The 16-year-old boy was found after the cargo jet landed in the Netherlands city on Thursday. It is thought the youngster may have survived the plane’s earlier – and far longer – flight from Nairobi in Kenya to London Stansted Airport, via a stop in Istanbul in Turkey. A spokesperson for Maastricht Aachen Airport said: “He had tremendous luck to get through this.” The spokesperson said that temperatures within the landing gear bay of the Turkish Airlines Airbus A330 would have fallen to minus 30C, adding: “Stowaways on airplanes are rare, and most people sadly don’t survive the journey.” The teenager is now in hospital suffering hypothermia but is said to be otherwise in a relatively healthy condition. Dutch police say there are currently trying to trace the boy’s exact route and will be investigating potential human trafficking links in connection with the incident.<br/>