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| Boy Flies To Rome |
The boy was identified as Liam Corcoran, who had apparently run away from his mother while she was shopping at the Wythenshawe civic center, close to the airport, on Tuesday and had been reported missing. He made his way to the airport, probably on foot.
By following another family, the boy passed through security without being checked, before making his way on to the Jet2.com flight. Security staff scanned him but failed to realize he was on his own and had no boarding card, passport, tickets or money.
Once on the aircraft, none of the crew realized he did not have a boarding card as he took a seat. A headcount failed to alert them to the discrepancy.
The jet took off as normal and it was only during the journey to Italy that passengers became suspicious of the boy and told the cabin crew. The crew members alerted the captain who radioed back to Manchester.
Police at Manchester airport then called the boy's mother to tell her that her son had been found safe and well – but that he was on a plane traveling to Italy.
The plane landed at Fiumicino airport in Rome where the boy was asked to remain on board while the other passengers left the aircraft. He remained on the plane, accompanied by flight crew, as it took off again to return to Manchester.
The returning plane landed at 10.25pm on Tuesday and it is understood the boy was met by his mother and police officers before being interviewed.
It is understood the return flight was delayed by 80 minutes while the plane's crew were questioned by Italian border police.
At least five members of Jet2.com staff have been suspended following the incident on Tuesday afternoon at the start of the busy summer getaway as the airport was bustling with thousands of people.
"This extremely serious matter is now being urgently investigated. It is clear that documentation has not been checked correctly at security and the boarding gate." said a Manchester airport spokesman. "The boy went through full security screening so the safety of passengers and the aircraft was never compromised."
The airport said his return journey had been handled sensitively to avoid any further distress.
A spokesperson for Jet2.com said: "We are fully investigating the incident as a matter of urgency and the staff involved have been suspended during this investigation."
John Greenway, a spokesman for Manchester airport, said: "We know that people are not very happy about it. The investigation will look at how this has happened. Jet2 will be looking at how this boy got on that aircraft.
"He's evaded checks. He did go through the metal detector and didn't sound any alarms. He wasn't a danger to any of the passengers."
Via The Guardian
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