A stowaway of Kenyan origin was discovered in the front wheel section of a Cargolux Italia freight plane after it had arrived at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam on Sunday.

Cargolux Italia spokesperson confirmed via email that indeed a stowaway had been on a flight operated by the company.

However, he did not comment further on the matter pending investigations by local authorities.

"We are not in a position to make any further comment until the authorities and the airline have completed their investigation," Cargolux Italia told local media.

The 22-year-old male apparently boarded the Boeing 747 freighter that made a stopover at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport en route to Amsterdam from South Africa.

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However, the identity of the stowaway, who now seeks asylum in the Netherlands is yet to be revealed.

The Dutch police in charge of Dutch border control said the man in fairing well despite the circumstances.

He was taken to the hospital for immediate medical attention after spending 11 hours stowing away in the landing gear area of the aircraft.

"The man is doing well considering the circumstances and has been taken to a hospital," Dutch police said.

Survival for stowaways is usually unlikely on such long flights because of the extremely low temperatures and low oxygen found at high altitudes.

The authorities have launched investigations into the circumstances under which the man hopped onto the plane.

This is the second stowaway instance involving Kenyans. 

The first instance happened on June 30, 2019, when another Kenyan national stowed away in the landing gear of a passenger jet but fell off the plane into a garden in South London.