Can you believe it? A man from the UK arrived at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on a flight from Bangkok and managed to walk out of the airport without clearing immigration. Yes, that's right he exited without anyone knowing and no one is sure of how it happened!
When airport personnel realized he was missing, a full search was initiated. They monitored video footage, involved security, and even took statements from customs and immigration officials to try and understand how this silly mistake could happen; feels like a scene from a movie right?
The passenger may have mixed in with the crowd or ran away when there was confusion between the airline staff and the immigration agents.. Whatever the reason for the outcome, what is clear is that even large systems can fail when negligent personnel are at work.
And honestly, if this can happen in Delhi airport, imagine what can happen at small airports and lesser security!.
Now people are starting to say
And for us as travelers - maybe the next time we are stuck in a long immigration line, we will think about this story and say to ourself , well at least security is doing its job!
What Happened?
Here it is: the traveler arrived from Bangkok and had a subsequent flight to London but instead of going through the customs clearance, he simply bypassed customs and walked through an exit in the airport terminal.When airport personnel realized he was missing, a full search was initiated. They monitored video footage, involved security, and even took statements from customs and immigration officials to try and understand how this silly mistake could happen; feels like a scene from a movie right?
How Did This Happen?
That's the ultimate question at hand. Delhi airport is one of the most secure airports in India, how can he simply exit without any scrutiny of his passport?The passenger may have mixed in with the crowd or ran away when there was confusion between the airline staff and the immigration agents.. Whatever the reason for the outcome, what is clear is that even large systems can fail when negligent personnel are at work.
And honestly, if this can happen in Delhi airport, imagine what can happen at small airports and lesser security!.
Why This Matters
This is not just about one passenger. It is about the trust we have had in the safety of various parts of the airport. When we are traveling we trust that each check we go through: security, baggage, immigration, all contribute to ensure our trip is safeNow people are starting to say
- How did he walk out of the airport without being stopped?
- How did it take that long to pick up on the idea that something was wrong?
- What will be done to ensure that this does not happen again?
My Thoughts
To be honest, I think that this should serve as a wake up call to everyone involved in the day to day operations of an airport. Technology and systems are nice, but it is still humans using those systems that matter most.And for us as travelers - maybe the next time we are stuck in a long immigration line, we will think about this story and say to ourself , well at least security is doing its job!
