Passengers on an Air Congo flight were forced to exit a Boeing 737-800 by jumping directly onto the tarmac at Kindu Airport after airport authorities failed to provide aircraft stairs, according to video footage and aviation reports circulating on social media.

The incident occurred after the aircraft arrived at Kindu from the Democratic Republic of Congo’s capital, Kinshasa.

The plane remained stationary on the apron for several hours, with passengers unable to disembark through normal procedures due to the absence of mobile stairs at the terminal.

Video footage shared online showed passengers exiting through the aircraft’s forward door and leaping several metres to the ground below, while airport personnel stood on the tarmac to receive luggage and assist arrivals.

Meanwhile the height of a Boeing 737-800 door is approximately three to four metres above ground level.

Reports indicated that passengers waited inside the aircraft for an extended period before ground staff advised them to leave via the open door. No emergency evacuation slides were deployed during the process.

Local police officers and airport ground staff wearing high-visibility vests were visible near the aircraft during the disembarkation. There were no immediate reports of serious injuries linked to the incident.

Air Congo, which is the country’s national carrier, was launched in December 2024 as a joint venture between the Congolese government.

The Congolese government holds a 51 percent stake, and Ethiopian Airlines, Africa’s largest airline, which owns the remaining 49 percent.

The aircraft involved in the incident was one of two Boeing 737s leased from Ethiopian Airlines for the airline’s initial operations.

Emergency slides are designed for rapid evacuation during situations involving immediate danger, such as fire or smoke in the cabin.

Aviation safety procedures generally discourage their use in non-emergency situations due to cost, maintenance requirements and the operational disruption that follows deployment.

According to data published by the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), replacing an escape slide assembly on a Boeing 737 can cost about 19,000 dollars, including parts and labour.

Even when a slide is not damaged, inspection and repacking can cost more than 12,000 dollars.

Unnecessary slide deployment can also result in aircraft being grounded for hours or days. In smaller or remote airports such as Kindu, where specialised maintenance facilities and spare equipment may be unavailable, this could disrupt scheduled operations and strand passengers.

Air Congo has not issued a detailed public statement on the incident. There has also been no official confirmation from airport authorities regarding why the stairs were unavailable at the time of arrival. (The Guardian)

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