- A suspected stowaway was found dead in the landing gear of an Air Arabia Maroc Airbus A320.
- The flight arrived at London Gatwick from Morocco on June 16, 2026 at 11:45 BST.
- Sussex Police and UK Border Force are investigating the security breach at the departure airport.
(LONDON GATWICK AIRPORT) — A suspected stowaway was found dead in the landing gear of an Air Arabia Maroc Airbus A320 after the aircraft arrived at London Gatwick on June 16, 2026. The body was discovered around 11:45 BST, prompting an immediate investigation by Sussex Police and UK border authorities.
The flight originated in Morocco and was operated by Air Arabia Maroc, the Moroccan subsidiary of the Sharjah-based low-cost carrier Air Arabia. The aircraft, an Airbus A320, is one of the most common narrow-body jets in global commercial aviation, flown by carriers ranging from easyJet to LATAM. The type’s widespread use means wheel well stowaway incidents involving the A320 are not unprecedented.
Authorities have not released the identity of the deceased. The exact departure city within Morocco has not been confirmed in official statements. Sussex Police, which polices Gatwick Airport, is leading the investigation alongside the UK Border Force and the Air Accidents Investigation Branch.
The AAIB typically engages when an incident involves an aircraft, even when the cause is not mechanical failure. Investigators are focused on how the individual accessed the aircraft’s wheel well, a breach that raises serious questions about perimeter security at the departure airport.
Stowaway incidents typically involve someone climbing into the landing gear compartment before departure, often by breaching airport fencing or exploiting gaps in ground crew oversight during turnaround operations. The survival prospects for landing gear stowaways are vanishingly low.
At cruising altitude, typically above 30,000 feet, temperatures in the unpressurized wheel well can drop to minus 50 degrees Celsius or colder. Oxygen levels fall to concentrations incompatible with human life. Most stowaways succumb to hypoxia or hypothermia before the aircraft begins its descent.
Those who survive the cold and oxygen deprivation face additional dangers during landing. The landing gear deploys on approach, and stowaways can fall from the aircraft. In 2015, a stowaway survived a flight from Johannesburg to London Heathrow but was critically injured upon landing. Another individual on the same flight did not survive the journey.
The Air Arabia Maroc incident follows a pattern of similar cases involving flights to London airports. In 2019, a body was found in the landing gear of a Jet Airways flight arriving at Heathrow from Mumbai. In 2024, a stowaway was discovered alive in the nose wheel of a cargo flight landing at London Stansted.
| Year | Route | Airline | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Johannesburg to London Heathrow | British Airways | One survivor, one fatality |
| 2019 | Mumbai to London Heathrow | Jet Airways | Fatality |
| 2024 | Unknown to London Stansted | Cargo carrier | Survivor |
| 2026 | Morocco to London Gatwick | Air Arabia Maroc | Fatality |
The investigation is examining security camera footage from the departure airport and conducting interviews with ground staff. UK authorities are working with Moroccan officials and Air Arabia Maroc to reconstruct how the individual reached the aircraft undetected. Moroccan civil aviation authorities have not commented publicly on the security breach.
Air Arabia Maroc operates a fleet of Airbus A320 aircraft across a network spanning Morocco, Europe, and the Middle East. The carrier flies from cities including Casablanca, Tangier, and Marrakech to destinations across the Mediterranean. Its UK routes include services to London Gatwick, making this corridor a regular part of its schedule.
Passengers flying through Gatwick on June 16 experienced limited disruption. The airport operated normally, with departures and arrivals continuing on schedule throughout the day. Air Arabia Maroc has not issued a public statement on the incident, and its flights to and from Gatwick have not been affected.
UK Border Force involvement signals the immigration dimension of the case. Stowaways who survive flights into the UK are typically detained under immigration powers and processed through the asylum system. Fatal cases are handled as sudden death investigations by the local police force, with coroner involvement determining the cause and circumstances of death.
The incident does not affect Air Arabia Maroc’s operating status in the UK. The carrier continues to fly its scheduled routes. Passengers booked on upcoming flights face no changes to itineraries, and no travel advisories have been issued for Morocco or Gatwick.
Travelers connecting through Gatwick should expect no ongoing impact from the incident. The airport returned to normal operations within hours of the discovery. Those with concerns about specific flights can check status updates on the Gatwick website or through their airline directly.
