How does a 15-year-old boy become separated from his family airside and board a plane to Italy instead of to Stansted in the UK without a ticket? According to media reports, the crew only realised that an unticketed passenger was on board after they'd taken off.

The family was supposed to fly with Tui from Menorca to Stansted. However, the young lad managed to board an EasyJet flight. The parents have questions to answer. Still, my primary concern is how he got on the EasyJet flight.

He was airside, having undergone screening, which meant he was clear of any prohibited items and probably posed no threat. Still, at the gate, just before boarding, a final check is performed to confirm that those boarding are genuine passengers and to reconcile any hold baggage.

Menorca Airport has 16 departure gates but only five airbridges. This setup means most passengers have to either walk across the apron to their flight or go by bus.

The minor, who is believed to have autism spectrum disorder, managed to board EasyJet U23762 to Milan while his family waited for the plane that was to take them to London Stansted Airport.

It remains unclear whether the Milan flight boarded via an airbridge. Nonetheless, a thorough final check on his ticket, which he did not have, was not carried out. This oversight can usually be attributed to:

Poor queue discipline at the boarding checkpoint, with people moving about, causing staff to miss individuals.
The poor layout at the boarding checkpoint allows people to bypass the check.
Rushed and overwhelmed staff who miss an individual

One observation from my time at Kai Tak Airport in the 1980s is that we encountered several cases of individuals who managed to access the airside, often by tailgating through doors. Subsequently, an investigation revealed that these people had autism or mental health issues. Furthermore, we discovered that the staff failed to challenge them.

I interviewed a lady who frankly admitted she was uncomfortable confronting such people due to the risk of upsetting them or causing offence. Her concern about escalating the situation led her to ignore the trespass into the airside. She decided not to report the issue because she feared she might lose her job.

We still don't know what happened in this case with the 15-year-old British boy, but the threat level was low since he'd undergone screening. CCTV will probably help establish the sequence of events.

In the meantime, promoting the right security culture should help staff feel more confident to act without fear of repercussions, even when making honest mistakes. This supportive work environment is essential for effective security measures.

Boarding Without A Ticket!!