Yes, this is a real photo. No, we don't know what the heck was going on here; we only know as much as anybody else. Usually, these kinds of stairs pull upafterthe plane has parked - and people get on them long after that. Even though aviation technology keeps improving, we're not at the point of parallel parking by the staircase yet. So why aren't these people waiting in the terminal? This seems like a total safety hazard,
We're just noticing this now, but none of those people have luggage. Maybe this is for a short, local flight? Either way, it feels like trouble waiting to happen.