1:15
- ABC News
- July 15, 2019
Boy boards plane to LA without ticket
The boy was an unaccompanied minor who managed to evade checks at the gate.
1:15
According to passenger Rachel Richardson, the incident caused several hours of delays. She said she saw police with dogs arriving on the scene shortly after all passengers were escorted off the plane.
“So I survived my six hour wait at Heathrow but am now delayed on the tarmac because a young boy made his way onto our plane – BA269 – without a ticket,\" she tweeted. \"Big security breach. So much fun for everyone on board. We were meant to take off at 4.15pm. It’s nearly 6pm.”
Current situation: Off the plane. Tonnes of police with sniffer dogs here. We are in a queue. Unclear what for. This is my set up. God bless iPlayer pic.twitter.com/DZfcix3hFF
— Rachel Richardson (@RachelARich) July 14, 2019
Nearly FIVE hours since we were meant to depart we have the all clear to go. I’ve been in Heathrow now for 11 hours. Feeling very 🤪
— Rachel Richardson (@RachelARich) July 14, 2019
Passengers reported that the entire plane was screened by security again after the breach. The plane took off five hours after its original departure time.
British Airways said in a statement: “We have apologized to our customers for the delay to their flight after an issue during boarding. The safety and security of our customers and crew is always our top priority and everyone who had boarded the aircraft had been subject to security checks. We conducted additional precautionary screening as soon as this issue came to light and we are assisting the police with their inquiries.”
The Telegraph reported that the boy refused to leave the aircraft at first but was eventually removed from the plane by police officers who arrived to assist the British Airways flight crew.
A spokesperson for Heathrow Airport said in a statement, “We are working with our police colleagues and British Airways to understand how an unauthorized passenger boarded the incorrect aircraft. The individual did not represent a security risk and, purely as a precaution, the aircraft in question was re-screened and has since departed. We apologize for the disruption and will continue working closely with the authorities and our airline partners to keep the airport safe.”
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