LONDON — The 11-year-old boy didn’t have a passport, didn’t have a ticket, didn’t have a boarding pass, and somehow managed to get all the way from England to Italy.
For him, the 1,000-mile journey was a great adventure — and his excitement led to his discovery.
“He was chatting away about being off by himself,” and passengers alerted the cabin crew, Russell Craig, a spokesman for Manchester Airport, said Wednesday.
The boy, who is known to be fascinated by transport and has a history of catching free rides on trains and buses, was sent back to Manchester on the return flight, Craig said.
For the airport, airline and the British government, Tuesday’s incident was an embarrassing breach of security days before the start of the Olympics.
The boy passed through five security checks before boarding the plane. He boarded during a busy time when many families were arriving, Craig said.
“This is an unusual and serious breach and we are keen to find out what has gone on,” said the government’s transport secretary, Justine Greening.
The Manchester Evening News
said the boy had run away from his mother while they were shopping and then made his way to the airport two miles away.
