Did the pilots fly to the wrong airport, or did the passengers do so?
I remember on Big Airways on the way to HKG we found passengers for Buenos Aires. They had heard announcements two hour into flight about HKG weather and did not speak much English. Landed HKG and they are wined and dined and sent off to B Aires. Because they were on hols they enjoyed the HKG free experience. You cannot get much further from HKG than Buenos Aires - 12000 miles I think.
Thinking about the EDI flight. Was it not the same thing? The crew and plane and flight plan and everything else was going to EDI, Just not the passengers? Yes, how were the boarding passes etc not spotted etc etc etc. That will come out no doubt. And there are security implications too.
And, what happened to the real EDI passengers - did they end up in DUS? Haven't hear what happened to them. Presumably there was an EDI departure around the same time a DUS departure which is where the mix up occurred?, No idea and like someone else, I am looking forward to the explanation with interest! I really do hope it is honest.
As for boy scout stories mentioned above, a lot of what you read here is just that, boy scout stuff at this stage of an event. Nobody knows so lots of speculation, and anecdotes like mine above. Nothing wrong with that. Nobody died. And it was not unsafe. Just a complete screw-up. Not what you want to hear about airline operations though because the passengers lose faith in the airline business which is sad since you cannot be anywhere a safer than in a civil airliner operated by a good airline. And in 2017 - any airline. No fatalities in 2017. So ending up in the wrong airport doesn't really demand too much publicity except for the fun of it.
Cheers
Y