A man has been arrested after boarding an incorrect flight from Manchester Airport on Friday evening.

Greater Manchester Police has said that officers received reports that a man was on the plane which was set to depart the runway for Milan.


Despite not having the right documents, the passenger boarded the easyJet flight from Manchester Airport at around 7pm on Friday.

Consequently, the man in his 20s was arrested on suspicion of “hiding oneself for the purpose of being carried in an aircraft without consent and intentionally or recklessly causing public nuisance after he returned to the terminal”, according to police reports.

Nothing suspicious was found when police conducted a search of the aircraft. (Stock image)

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It has been confirmed that nothing suspicious has been found aboard the plane, and that the arrest was non-terror related.

However, the airline said that its EZY2127 flight had additional security checks in addition to its standard procedure “due to a passenger incorrectly boarding the flight”.

The airline said: “Safety and security is our highest priority and so we will now work with our ground partner at Manchester Airport to understand how he was able to board the flight.”

Manchester Airport said that the individual was “properly screened” by its security “so passenger safety was never an issue”.

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A plane taking off

Following the arrest, the man was taken off the plane by Greater Manchester Police. (Stock image)

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Following the arrest, the man was taken off the plane by police, while other passengers were also taken off the plane and were subject to another round of security checks.

The airport confirmed that it was working with the police and airline to fully understand what happened.

Further inquiries will continue as the man remains in custody.

There have been several incidents over the past year in which passengers have found themselves permitted onboard an aircraft by mistake.

Planes parked along an airport runway

Several individuals have found themselves aboard wrong planes as they arrive in unexpected destinations. (Stock image)

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This incident has followed a separate report in June when a woman landed in Benidorm after she had believed she had boarded a flight from Leeds to Paris for a city break.

She had mistakenly been able to board the Ryanair aircraft after passing through gate security checks but had fallen asleep while on the plane.

Similarly, another couple from Manchester found themselves in France despite intending to land in Denmark, just days before Christmas last year.

It is standard procedure to require a passport and the correct boarding pass, as well as additional travel documents if travelling beyond Europe.