A 15-year-old British boy disrupted normal operations at Menorca Airport this Monday morning when he sneaked through the boarding gate on his own and boarded a plane bound for Malpensa Airport in Milan - instead of London. The minor, who it is thought suffers from autism spectrum disorder, managed to board easyJet flight U23762 to Milan, scheduled to depart at 9.25 a.m., while his family waited for the plane that was to take them to London Stansted Airport. Their flight was with TUI, BY5107.
When the parents noticed their son was missing, they immediately raised the alarm, prompting the intervention of the National Police at the airport. Officers checked the security cameras in the boarding area and confirmed that the boy had managed to access the gate for the flight to Milan and had boarded the plane.
The airport had already activated the procedure for lost children. When the police confirmed that the teenager had boarded the plane to Milan, the procedure was closed. The National Police have reported that easyJet will be responsible for returning the child, either to Menorca or on another flight to London, which is the destination of the whole family on their return from their holiday on the island.
easyJet has confirmed that they are flying a family member to Milan this afternoon to be with the teenager. The British airline will have to open an investigation to clarify how the minor was able to bypass the boarding security checks and end up occupying a seat on the flight to Milan without being noticed by ground staff or the cabin crew. The flight to Milan took off from Menorca on time at 9.29 a.m. It was during the journey that it was discovered that the minor was on board.