The Missing Passenger: a true story

This is a true story.  Only the names have been changed to protect the inefficient. 

Place:  An international airport somewhere in Australia.

Date:  In the last week or so.

Airline:  Timbuktoo Airlines*, Flight 600 to Llasa*. 

Time:  1415

A passenger is missing.  Flight 600 has just been given clearance to take off in 15 minutes, but one of the 312 passengers is missing. 

The cabin crew count again.  311.  According to the computer, his bags have been loaded into the hold, and he should be in his seat.  But he is not.

The plane cannot take off.  Airlines take the view that if passengers choose not to travel with their bags, it is not a fear of flying that stops them.  It is more likely a fear of exploding baggage.

Airlines take a grim view of missing passengers. 

The passengers are deplaned.  The baggage containers are taken from the plane's hold and unloaded, and the 311 passengers are asked to identify their bags. 

Some time is saved because there is no need to search the bags, because this had been done when the passengers first checked in. 

Finally, all bags are accounted for, except one: a Mancester Airlines bag destined for Buenos Aires.  It had been loaded onto the Llasa flight by mistake.  It is rescued from its unscheduled trip to Llasa - there's always a silver lining, isn't there?

With no unclaimed bags in the hold, the crew assume it was a computer glitch, despite the fact that the passenger is still missing.  But so is his baggage, which is now not a problem.

The baggage containers can now be reloaded. 

Time:  1700

The passengers reboard, and to pass the time while the containers are reloaded, they are served a meal.  They are eating a hot main course when the message comes through.  Deplane urgently.  An anonoymous phone call has been received:  there's a bomb on Flight 600.

The passengers wait in the terminal, and the airport staff try to save the flight.  The baggage containers have already been searched.  If they remove the cargo and mail containers, which have not been searched, then the plane can still leave. 

The cargo and mail containers are behind the baggage containers.  These are now on board.  The cargo and mail containers cannot be removed until the baggage containers are out of the plane. 

The long-suffering loaders are called back.

Time: 1900

At this point, the flight crew run out of hours.  Being an airline which is not based in Australia, there is no fresh crew to replace them, and they must have a 14 hour break before they are allowed to fly a plane. 

They go to a hotel for the night and, of course, so do their passengers.

Time:  1200 the next day

The passengers check in, and discover that 150 of their number now have incorrect papers. 

Because of the delay, they will miss their connection in Llasa. 

Yesterday, the transit time between connecting flights was four hours so there had been no need for a visa.  Today, their next connection is in four days time. 

They must fill out visa forms, so they can stay the extra time without being considered illegal immigrants.  

Moreover, the airline has been unable to locate five of its passengers.  Finding themselves, unexpectedly, in a hotel in the middle of the city, these passengers take the opportunity to do a little sightseeing, and they don't leave a forwarding address. 

In the midst of this chaos, the missing passenger turns up.  He checks in, confident his plane is waiting for him - and it is!  He has no idea that he caused its delay in the first place.

In fact, it turns out he had checked in for the flight yesterday, and his ticketing details had been keyed into the computer.  That was why it had insisted his bag was in the hold.

After this, there had been a break-down in communication, partly because english was not the passenger's native language. 

The check-in clerk had inspected his passport, as is customary, and had pointed out that he would need 24 hours in Llasa to get an entry visa into his next port. 

He misheard.  He thought she said the plane was delayed 24 hours, and without ado, he wandered off with his bags and muttered over his shoulder - the check-in clerk now recalls - 'Well, I'll see you tomorrow'.

Time: 1430

Flight 600 leaves 24 hours late.  The crew is rested.  The cargo and mail containers are bomb free.  The five missing tourists never turn up, and by departure time, nobody cares.  The passenger who triggered this chain of events sits blameless in his seat, having caught the plane only by accident.

But, make no mistake.  His bags are in the hold.

*Fictional airline and fictional destination.