Just yesterday, a 13-year-old Afghan boy was discovered at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport after hiding in the landing gear compartment of a Kam Air flight from Kabul.

This, however, is not an isolated incident.

In a similar, yet more harrowing incident in 1996, two brothers, Pardeep Saini and Vijay — from Punjab — attempted to stow away on a British Airways plane to enter the UK. Hidden in the wheel bay of the Boeing 747, they braved extreme conditions. The 10-hour flight was a test of endurance, with temperatures plummeting to -60°C and oxygen levels dwindling at 40,000 feet.

Once in the air, the thunderous jet engines drowned out any chance of communication, while the freezing temperatures sent their heart rates into a downward spiral.

The desperate bid for freedom

The

See Full Page