9-year-old boy passed through
security at the Minneapolis/St. Paul
International Airport and flew on a Delta Air
Lines plane to Las Vegas without a boarding
pass, authorities said on Sunday.
It was not immediately clear why the child
sneaked onto the flight on Thursday, but his
action raised questions about airport and airline
security.
"The story has a good ending because at least the
flight crew took the appropriate actions and the
child was returned safely," said Pat Hogan, a
Minneapolis airport spokesman. "Obviously the
concern is how the child was able to go through
the security screening process and board an
airplane in the first place."
The boy was screened at one of the airport's
checkpoints shortly after 10:30 a.m. CDT on
Thursday and got on the Delta flight to Las Vegas
at 11:15 a.m. CDT.
Crew members became suspicious of him during
the flight and contacted the Las Vegas
Metropolitan Police Department, Hogan said.
Officers took him into custody when the plane
landed.
Delta spokeswoman Leslie Scott declined to
comment beyond saying that the matter was
under investigation. She declined to say why the
crew became uneasy about the boy.
The Transportation Security Administration
would say only that the boy was screened along
with other passengers "to ensure that he was not
a threat to the aircraft."
Security video shows the boy was at the airport
on Wednesday as well, Hogan said.
The child, who is from Minneapolis, arrived on
the light rail train that runs from the city's
downtown, took a bag from a luggage carousel,
and brought it to a restaurant in the area before
the security checkpoints.
"He ordered lunch and ate it and then he told
the wait staff that he had to use the restroom,"
Hogan said. "So he left the bag there, left the
restaurant and never came back to pay."
The bag was returned to its owner.
Hogan said that he believed the child was back
at home in Minneapolis with his family.
"It's really unclear why he was going to Las
Vegas," he said.
And some people will say Nigeria security system at the airport is poor..i want to hear them say the same here...
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