ba18 sin-lhr
 

Just short of the stand, told to stay in our seats as BAA (pretty sure that's what she said) have advised they wish to board the aircraft.

I was front of cattle compartment, saw nothing. After 10 min's Captain comes on, thanks for patience and off we go.

Any ideas what happened?

Nothing to do with the BAA.

The police were boarding all flights from asia. Its to do with the Tsunami and checking to see if any pax are on the FCO database as reported as missing. ATC are telling skippers not to deplane until checked by the police.

Hope this helps

I'm guessing that at immigration you could have pax from the US, South America, Far East, Mid East, Africa, all over, waiting in line. At least doing it on the aeroplane you're not delaying everyone.

..and if you are on the plane and there is only one door open....you are unlikely to get 'lost' anywhere else are you?

Seems to be a minor inconvenience & a decent solution to a very unfortunate and sad problem.

Dont think it has anything to do with the tsunami. They like to check peoples papers on board so that you can stay on board if you dont have the correct papers and remain the responsibility of the airline and not of the receiving airport. Its all about money....... This way the airline foots the bill for the return ticket of the would be illegal immigrant.

Sorry 126,7, it's everything to do with the Asian tsunami.

The police are collecting as much data for the Home Office as possible re names of missing and survivors. I was told by a police friend that they are concerned about the lack of data as a method that criminals could use to cover up activities hence the sweeping of all flights inbound to the UK from the region over the last month.

Don't buy it on the Tsunami front. Woman said she would let us know when she was told by authorities.

It is more than three weeks since the Tsunami and such a thing would have been SOP to BA if it was common practice.

Reckon the immigration issue does not apply either as sin - lon is not a know route for such things.

BA and the Home Office had an SOP for a Tsunami that wipes out in a few minutes a third of a million people and left many others missing? I'm impressed.

126.7 It doesn't matter where an illegal entrant is found, the delivering carrier will be fined and tasked to make arrangements for the illegal entrant to depart on the flight specified by Immigration, even if it means 'bumping' a bona fide passenger on a full flight.

People, it is for the Tsunami. We (ATC) get a list every day of the a/c they want us to notify to hold the pax until they arrive.

I can well believe that it's for the tsunami. I can also well believe that it's done at that point because the aircraft is itself carrying the most accurate manifest.

What is a bit puzzling is why, in the 21st century, an electronic copy of the manifest can't be transferred to London and printed there for the police to check before the aircraft arrives. After all, a SIN-LHR flight will have been in the air for 12-14 hours by then.

My guess is that not all the pax will have proper travel documents, therefore the police check compares photos and details on file against the person travelling on those details


Pure guess, but it makes sense to me

It definately due to the tsunami ... having been on a flight from BOM on 04/01, we were informed the same by Capt that Police were to board, and if we have come from affected region, we should fill out an 'Evacuation Form', which would be filled/checked with list to see if we were listed as missing.

Jordan

It would make sense if the police had come on and eyeballed everyone, but the OP suggests that they didn't. Which made me think that this was a manifest/paperwork check - hence the puzzlement as to why it couldn't have been electronically transferred over after the aircraft's departure from SIN.