A disturbing security breach involving national carrier Air Congo has sparked international concern after videos emerged on social media showing passengers jumping from the cabin doors of a Boeing 737-800 to reach the departure area. Global Aerospace News.
The incident took place in Kindu Airport (KND), after what witnesses described as “many hours” of ordeal inside the stationary plane.
A three-meter jump to safety
According to reports and footage on social media, the plane arrived in Kindu from Kinshasa, but it was not possible to disembark normally due to the lack of available air stairs at the terminal. After waiting several hours in the warmth of the cabin, passengers were reportedly asked by ground staff to exit the aircraft through the L1 front door.
The door sill of the Boeing 737-800 is located approximately 3 to 4 meters (10 to 13 ft) above the ground. In the footage, passengers are seen handing heavy suitcases to staff on the runway before taking the dangerous jump themselves.
On sightings, local police and ground personnel were seen wearing high visibility “PISTE” vests.
Notably, no emergency slides were deployed – a decision likely made to avoid the considerable expense and downtime associated with repacking slides.
Air Congo is a flagship project for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which only started in December 2024. The airline is a joint venture with the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which owns a 51% stake and Ethiopian Airlines — Africa’s largest carrier — holds 49%.
The aircraft is one of two Boeing 737s currently on lease from Ethiopian Airlines.
While emergency slides are designed to quickly evacuate passengers, placing them on the ground when there is no immediate danger is not a decision airlines take lightly. Slides are single-use safety devices. Once deployed, they must be removed, inspected, and either repackaged or replaced entirely—a process that is costly and time-consuming.
According to estimates by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), replacing the entire escape chute assembly on a Boeing 737 can cost approximately $19,000 per chute, including parts and labor.
Even if the slide is undamaged, the specialized inspection and repackaging process costs more than $12,000.
In addition to the immediate cost, unnecessary chute deployment can ground an aircraft for hours or even days. In a remote location like Kindu, where specialized maintenance teams are not available, deploying the chute would likely strand the aircraft and all following passengers indefinitely. This operational reality often leaves crews in a “catch 22” when airport infrastructure – such as aerial stairs – does not appear.
