Overview

• Parents discovered the boy’s passport had expired and required a visa, then left him alone in the public terminal so they could board with their younger child.
• Once staff alerted police to the lone child, the pilot redirected the aircraft to the gate, leading to a luggage inspection and reprocessing of travel documents.
• Officers used the flight manifest to identify and remove the parents and their younger child for questioning at the airport police station.
• The 10-year-old remained under police supervision in the terminal until a relative arrived to collect him.
• Barcelona–El Prat Airport has declined to comment on the incident and it remains unclear whether the parents faced any formal charges.