Mumbai: A Delhi-bound Air India flight from London Heathrow had to return to its gate on Sunday while taxiing for takeoff after it was discovered that a passenger who had been marked as boarded had not actually entered the aircraft.
Flight AI 162 was already running about 45 minutes behind schedule before the incident occurred. According to an airline spokesperson, the passenger had mistakenly gone to the arrivals area after having their boarding pass scanned at the departure gate.
“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,” Air India said in a statement. “As per standard security protocols, the aircraft returned to offload the passenger’s baggage and, subsequently, departed with a delay. The passenger was detained by airport security for questioning.”
The airline added that the decision to return was taken to ensure compliance with safety and security regulations. The exact number of passengers onboard the flight was not immediately available.
