Newswatcher
Sorry was having probs with my computer and easier to delete the lot rather than make a mess.
Think WB has covered most of the detail and use of northern airways.
Murphy's Law decrees that his sort of thing usually happens in the middle of the night when there a very few hands on the pump.
That having been said there were two hours between discovery and the decision to return and join the 0600 stack at LHR. Plenty of time to talk to the PAX on the BA a/c and better ascertain the risk. This may have been done.
As someone stated, the inmates are running the asylum when it comes to security and most drivers now leave their commonsense at home and follow SOP's to the letter...even if it is gobbleygook. What's USD 100,000 when you can get hauled over the coals for exercising commonsense but not the letter of the SOP's??
As to how the bags got on one flight and the PAX another, only time will tell but if the CX flight was full and the PAX was on a subload ticket....
End result was probably 400 glum faces at LHR plus one unhappy soul waiting at the carousel at CLK.
Predictable result in this day and age methinks.