Bound for Dhaka, lands in Mangalore

Despite claims of implementing stringent security measures at airports, a Bangladesh-bound passenger from Bahrain landed at the airport here on May 25, forcing the immigration staff to run for cover amid severe criticism for security lapse.

Airport sources said the passenger, Mohommad Alam Mamtazuddin, was scheduled to take a Gulf Air flight to Dhaka, Bangladesh, to attend his child’s funeral. Instead, he mistakenly boarded an Air India Express flight and arrived at Mangalore.

However, the AIE authorities sent him to Dubai by the very next flight, bearing all expenses, sources said.

According to reliable sources, Mamtazuddin, an illiterate, did not have much idea about the boarding procedures. Besides, the flight he took was almost empty. “If the flight was full, then the bona fide passenger who had booked the ticket for the seat on which Mamtazuddin was seated would have objected to his boarding the flight. But this did not happen as the flight was almost empty,” said the source.

Happy realisation

Soon after boarding the flight, Mamtazuddin realised his mistake and immediately approached an air hostess, who subsequently reported it to the pilot. Hence, when he landed at Mangalore, the officials were on their toes as they already had prior information about him.

“The issue is very serious. Security threat can come from anywhere. It is a serious crime to have a non bona fide passenger flying in a particular flight,” said a senior official of the airlines. “The incident is certainly very uncommon.”

The official, on conditions of anonymity, said the goof-up must have occurred at the check-in point where the boarding pass for the Bahrain-Mangalore flight was issued.