TOM 374 was due out of EMA at 10.55 this morning. All pax ex 16 selected at random for enhanced security checks were on board by about 11.15, my son was kept in the terminal whilst his wife and 3 and 5 year old children boarded.
There followed a long period with nothing happening, after which they were told by what sounded to be a very embarrassed captain that there would be an indeterminate delay whilst staff were roaded up from Birmingham to carry out a security check on the aircraft. They eventually took off at 14.28.
Three questions:-
1. Is it company policy to split a young family?
2. What is this business of randomly holding back a small percentage of pax for enhanced security checks?
3. Why do they delay an aircraft for 3 1/2 hours for aircraft security checks?
Holedriller