Swissport cause Terror alert after traveller flies to Pakistan on sister's passport

[legalize]

BUNGLING airport security staff allowed a Midland traveller to fly to Pakistan using his SISTER’s passport.

Businessman Kasim Raja, aged 26, from Moseley, went through three security checks unchallenged at Birmingham International Airport before boarding a Pakistan International Airlines flight to Islamabad last weekend.

It wasn’t until he arrived in the Pakistani capital that border control staff noticed he was carrying his sister’s passport. They bustled Mr Raja onto a flight back to Birmingham, despite his pleas that he had made a simple mistake.

“I was in a bit of a rush and grabbed what I thought was my passport as I was leaving,” the real estate developer told the Sunday Mercury.

“I handed it over at the desk, they checked it and everything was fine. When we got to the boarding gate they checked it again and waved me straight through.

“I was planning to stay in Pakistan for 10 days, and was travelling with my father to visit friends and family. Now I’ve lost £1,000 on this trip, had to pay again and reschedule my flight.

“I could have been anyone – it doesn’t say much for airport security.”

Last night, a spokesman for Swissport, which handles check-in procedures for Pakistan International Airlines at Birmingham, said: “We will be investigating this matter. Obviously it is being taken very seriously and we will look into it.”

Mr Raja, who flies to Pakistan twice a year, said the error was unforgiveable, and could have led to a major security breach.

“There’s a lot of difference in the pictures,” he said. “I don’t look anything like my sister. I could have been a fugitive but they put me on a plane at Birmingham.

“As soon as I got to Islamabad the Pakistani officials took one look at my passport and sent me straight back. I asked them to get in touch with the British embassy to see if we could sort the whole thing out, but because I didn’t have a valid passport to hand they had to deport me.

“I flew for seven and a half hours, was on the ground for two hours, and then had to fly home again.

“I’m angry with Swissport, who did the check-in. I spoke to their duty manager as soon as I got back, but they have refused to give me a refund. I only live 10 minutes from the airport. If they had spotted the error like they are supposed to, I could have gone home, got my passport and still made the flight.”

A spokeswoman for Birmingham International Airport said: “Although the Airport Company is speaking to Mr Raja and investigating the matter, embarkation controls are the responsibility of airlines, handling agents and the Border Control Agency.”

Source: www.sundaymercury.net (http://www.sundaymercury.net/news/midlands-news/2008/12/27/terror-alert-after-traveller-flies-to-pakistan-on-swister-s-passport-66331-22558179/)

[call100]

Amazing how he's not accepting any responsibility!!!!! I notice the headlines are blaming Security again when it's nothing to do with them...

[sandpitwantabe]

Well looks like various staff did not do their job ! If you pay staff peanuts expect them to work stupid hours to earn a reasonable salary errors will happen. It is no the first time and will not be the last.

[tigger2k8]

call100, how isn't it anything to do with the security staff? its their job to check passports/boarding cards at the search area before going airside :ugh: ive always had my passport and ticket checked by staff at the search area... and ofcourse the staff for swissport who checked him in / boarded ..


agree with sandpitwantabe.. theres too many important staff members at airports that get underpaid for the job they do..

[Jen_Jen]

It happens at Manchester quite abit. Passengers who check-in online have been known to get through security with just confirmations and other peoples passports. Yes the passport should have been checked by the check-in/gate staff but if its not down to security to double check then what the hell are they really they for?

[1station]

MA Security are not responsible at Manchester for checking passports at security search, it is the handling agents responsibility to check them at the boarding gate.

The age of the internet check in has brought about more and more instances of incorrect documentation at the gates but that is why a handling agent is employed by the airline to stop passengers getting onboard.

[tigger2k8]

1station, thats strange, so basically security allows people to go through to a secure part of the airport with just a ticket? no photo ID?

[call100]

tigger2k8 call100, how isn't it anything to do with the security staff? its their job to check passports/boarding cards at the search area before going airside :ugh: ive always had my passport and ticket checked by staff at the search area... and ofcourse the staff for swissport who checked him in / boarded ..
Last time I flew from there they only checked the boarding card. The same when I flew from Manchester....Passports were only checked by Handling agent staff.......I'm not arguing the rights or wrong with you. :rolleyes:

[tigger2k8]

im not arguing either, im just shocked/surprised, i suppose it just depends on the airport all the airports ive ever flown out of (which is a small percentage obviously) has checked both at security

airside is a secure area (even if it is the shopping area and departure gates), and i dont understand why any airport would allow someone in just by boarding card and not checking passports to make sure its their name on the ticket

[Jen_Jen]

So basically you can book at ticket in any name, check-in online (so you dont have to go to a check-in agent) get free secrutiy with no id check and get airside quite easily. How do we not have more terror alerts? Security stop liquids etc going through yet they dont know who they have let airside.

[Hollymead]

Call me a cynic , but maybe he travelled out on his own passport and presented his sisters on arrival , some people will do anything for their 15 minutes .

[Jen_Jen]

Why bother though? our only going to get sent home? I understand what your saying but its alot of effort to go to.

[Skipness One Echo]

So basically you can book at ticket in any name, check-in online (so you dont have to go to a check-in agent) get free secrutiy with no id check and get airside quite easily. How do we not have more terror alerts? Security stop liquids etc going through yet they dont know who they have let airside.

Only if flying domestically with civilised airlines does one not require ones papers to be "pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered." What's the wailing about here? He shouldn't have been on board an international flight without his passport, being in a departure lounge having passed through xrays and pat downs sounds OK to me. Oh wait I forgot. this is 21st century UK where perspective is unknown. Calm down girls.....

[exaviation]

Ive been at the gate at bhx and seen :mad: from that airline check only boarding cards, so I know that they just want to get the flight out.
The gate and ramp staff are under pressure and := rushing to get the flight away. some airline Reps bully the staff and are rude at the gate,ringing any bells?

bottom line is cost, airlines want cheap..
lots of the right quality staff and equipment= great service
never enough staff = service at breaking point all of the time!

Do I sound bitter, hell yes,
put my heart and soul into my job and everything I do,
as did many others, it's impossible to give high end service at bargin basement prices in aviation,

Quality cost and no one wants to pay..
We are all to blame we all want cheap,food ,gas, airline tickets etc;
the only way to keep costs down is cut to bare bones. beat the opposition either getting or keeping contracts.

[TotalBeginner]

1station, thats strange, so basically security allows people to go through to a secure part of the airport with just a ticket? no photo ID?

There is no passport control on departure in the UK. Therefore the airport authorities are only interested in seeing a valid boarding pass at security search.

The responsibility for identity checks lies with the airline or it's handling agent.

[Mister Geezer]

So at the end of the day we are relying on staff who have probably been given minimal training in checking documents and are paid a fairly meagre wage as well. No wonder this happens!

[urdy gurdy]

do you really think that if someone wanted to cause a terrorist attack on an airline, that they would be that bothered if they travelled on there own name or not. They probably intend to die anyway.
domestic flights dont require photo ID (dependant on airline) so why does someone without a passport suddenly become a terror risk.
after all, the pax all go through the same security screening process regardless of passport or even boarding card (cos they get airside without them too).

[Ex Cargo Clown]

Let's be honest, if we had proper border controls like everywhere else in the World, ie emmigration checks made by passport control before departure, this situation would never have occured.

[Skipness One Echo]

I assume you have heard of the Schengen Accord? There are more complex reasons why the UK is a magnet for nutters from all over the globe......

[Opssys]

The UK is NOT part of the Schengen Accord. But Checks on outbound Passports by what was then Immigration were scrapped in the 1970's (although at LGW in the Summer, they were to say the least cursory a couple of years before that). It looks as though they maybe re-implemented by the new agency sometime in the next couple of years.

No Border can ever really be totally sealed, but ours have been particularly leaky over the lats 30+years. Getting Airlines (or their Agents) to do the Checks was always going to lead to larger number of errors than using dedicated staff. But hey it saved the Government of the Day money when they made the change!

[Skipness One Echo]

For goodness sake I know we're not in Schengen, my point was that not all borders require a passport !

[Mister Geezer]

Perhaps for the more bleary eyed readers that was not so obvious! :cool:

Now and again you do see UK Border staff checking passports just after security but it seems to be a irregular and random process and it is rare. I have only seen it at Heathrow and Liverpool of all places!

[Opssys]

For goodness sake I know we're not in Schengen, my point was that not all borders require a passport ! Perhaps for the more bleary eyed readers that was not so obvious!As the bleary eyed reader in question - Mr Geezer was right it wasn't obvious at the time...