Delhi-bound Air India flight returns to gate after passenger goes to arrivals instead of boarding

London: An Air India flight from London to New Delhi was delayed after it had to return to the gate when a passenger, marked as boarded, failed to actually enter the aircraft.

The incident took place on Sunday (local time) on flight AI 162 from Heathrow Airport. The flight, already running about 45 minutes behind schedule, had begun taxiing when the crew noticed a discrepancy: while a passenger’s boarding pass had been scanned, the individual was not present on board.

According to Air India, the passenger mistakenly entered the arrivals area instead of proceeding to the designated departure gate. The system, however, registered them as boarded once their pass was scanned, triggering the confusion.

In line with international safety protocols, the aircraft was brought back to the gate so the passenger’s baggage could be offloaded. “Flight AI 162, operating from London (Heathrow) to Delhi on September 21, 2025, returned to the gate shortly after pushback because a passenger who, despite having their boarding pass scanned and being marked as boarded, failed to board the aircraft,” an Air India spokesperson said.

“The aircraft returned to offload the passenger’s baggage and subsequently departed with a delay,” the airline added, stressing that the crew had followed all mandatory security measures.

Airport security detained the passenger for questioning. While no malicious intent was suspected, the lapse prompted an investigation in line with standard procedures.

Air India later issued a statement apologising to passengers for the disruption: “Our crew followed the required protocols, and the decision to return was taken to ensure security compliance. We regret the delay caused by this incident.”