Camilla Jessen
A British teenager’s family trip took an unexpected detour when he accidentally boarded a flight to Italy.
A 15-year-old British teenager accidentally boarded the wrong plane and ended up in Milan, Italy, after getting separated from his parents at a busy Spanish airport, reports The Guardian.
The incident has raised serious questions about airport security and boarding procedures.
Lost in a Crowd, Boarded the Wrong Flight
The teenager was supposed to fly with his family from Menorca to Stansted Airport in London via a Tui Airlines flight.
However, in the chaos of the crowded departure terminal, the boy got separated from his parents and wandered into the wrong boarding gate.
Spanish police confirmed that surveillance footage showed the boy mistakenly boarding an EasyJet flight to Milan, despite not having a ticket for that flight.
Missing Child Alert Activated
His parents, realizing their son was missing, alerted airport authorities.
But after reviewing CCTV footage, police discovered that the teenager had already taken off on a plane bound for Italy.
“The airport had already activated the missing children alert system, but it was deactivated after it was confirmed that the boy was heading to Italy,” a Mallorca National Police spokesperson said.
Discovered Mid-Flight Without a Ticket
Midway through the flight, EasyJet staff realized there was an unaccompanied minor onboard without a boarding pass.
Upon landing in Milan, the boy was met by EasyJet staff and local Italian authorities, who arranged for a family member to collect him.
“We are investigating with the airport and our handling provider at Mahon Airport how a young passenger managed to board the wrong plane to Milan unaccompanied,” an EasyJet spokesperson said.
Family Reunion in Milan
The boy’s mother immediately flew to Milan from London to be reunited with her son.
EasyJet confirmed that they provided travel assistance for the family and were in contact to offer further support.
Serious Lapses in Airport Security
The incident has sparked concern over how a young, unaccompanied passenger could bypass airline staff and board an international flight without a valid ticket.
Both the airport authorities and EasyJet are now conducting investigations into the mishap, aiming to ensure such a breach does not happen again.
