An investigation has been launched at Manchester Airport after an 11-year-old boy boarded a Jet2.com flight to Rome without a passport, boarding card, or ticket. The boy, Liam Corcoran, reportedly ran away from his mother while she was shopping at Wythenshawe civic centre on Tuesday and made his way to the airport on foot.
Once at Terminal One, he followed another family through security, evading detection despite being scanned. He then bypassed a gate check and boarded flight LS791 to Rome, where he took a seat unnoticed. It was only during the flight that passengers became suspicious and alerted cabin crew.
The plane landed at Fiumicino Airport in Rome, where the boy remained on board with crew as the aircraft returned to Manchester. The return flight was delayed by 80 minutes while Italian border police questioned the crew. The boy was met by his mother and police upon landing at 10.25pm.
Five Jet2.com staff have been suspended pending a full investigation. A Manchester Airport spokesman said: '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.' A Jet2.com spokesperson added: 'We are fully investigating the incident as a matter of urgency.'
Passenger Sarah Swayne described the boy as 'very talkative and seemed quite unfazed by it all.' Another passenger said he 'clearly didn't want to get off' the plane. The airport confirmed the boy went through full security screening, so passenger safety was not compromised.
