Dead Stowaway Discovered in Air Arabia Plane’s Wheel Bay at Gatwick
A stowaway was found dead in the landing-gear compartment of an Air Arabia flight that arrived at London Gatwick on June 16, 2026.
On the morning of June 16, 2026, a London Gatwick staff member noticed a dangling packing strap on an Air Arabia plane and discovered the corpse of a man concealed in the aircraft’s landing-gear compartment. The flight had arrived from Tangier, Morocco, and the victim was unresponsive when emergency services arrived shortly after 11:30 a.m. A coroner’s report determined that the man died of cardiac arrest, with subsequent hypoxia and hypothermia, and noted there was reason to believe the death was unnatural given the extremely cold, low-oxygen environment of the wheel bay.
Sussex Police confirmed the finding, and airport officials expressed condolences to those affected. The incident prompted a coordinated response from the airport’s emergency team, police and the coroner’s office.
Why it matters
It highlights the dangers of aircraft stowaway attempts and the safety challenges for airport staff.
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