Rome alone: Boy, 11, flies to Italy alone without passport or ticket



Manchester Airport has launched an investigation after an 11-year-old boy without any travel documents managed to clear five levels of security and board a flight to Rome - on his own.

Liam Corcoran managed to fly to the Italian capital completely unaccompanied and without a passport or flight ticket.

The alarm was only raised when concerned passengers alerted cabin crew and the captain informed Manchester Airport by radio.

Taking off: Liam managed to fly to Rome without any travel documents

The schoolboy ran away from his mum during a shopping trip at the Wythenshawe Civic Centre - not far from the airport - and followed a family of holidaymakers into Terminal 1, according to the Manchester Evening News.

When Liam went through security he was scanned, but staff failed to notice that he was unaccompanied and had no boarding card.

He was then allowed to board Jet2 flight LS791 to Rome without showing any documentation whatsoever and cabin crew failed to carry out an accurate head-count, not noticing that they had an extra passenger on board.

A Manchester Airport spokesman described the security lapse as an 'extremely serious matter' and said it was being urgently investigated.



'It is clear that documentation has not been checked correctly at security and the boarding gate,' he said.

'The boy went through full security screening so the safety of passengers and the aircraft was never compromised.



'We are now making preparations to ensure that his return to the UK is handled sensitively to avoid any distress.'



Once fellow passengers had realised the boy was travelling alone and alerted Jet2 staff, the captain radioed the airport and Liam's mother was informed. But the plane was already on its way to Italy.

When it landed at Fiumicino Airport in Rome, Liam stayed on board and for the return flight to Manchester, where he was reunited with his mother at about 9pm.

The flight home was delayed as flight crew were spoken to by the Italian authorities.



A number of staff from Manchester Airport and Jet2.com have been suspended while the investigation takes place.