Passenger Without a Boarding Pass
The flight from Singapore to Mumbai was scheduled to depart at 1500 hours LT, and with no cancellations, it was evident that all sixty-nine passengers had acquired their boarding passes.
Boarding began at 14:30 hrs. Thankfully, no screaming children were on board. The air hostess greeted each passenger with enthusiasm, her eyes sparkling. Yes, it was shaping up to be a peaceful flight, or so everyone thought.
As the engines roared to life, the flight taxied down the runway and took off promptly on time.
The co-pilot announced a five-hour and thirty-minute travel time over the intercom.
The flight cruised smoothly. Passengers nestled into their seats, watching movies or lulled to sleep by the soothing hum of the engines.
Suddenly, mid-air, amidst clouds, the co-pilot contacts Air Traffic Control (ATC), saying, “Need assistance. We have a situation on board and ..…..”
But before the pilot could complete his sentence, communication was lost. Repeated attempts to reestablish contact failed, tension gripping the cabin.
Questions arose: Was the flight hijacked, facing technical issues, carrying a critical patient, or crashed? Panic spread among the staff at the destination airport.
Anxiety and confusion spread like wildfire. Airport officials persisted in their efforts to contact the pilot. However, there were no signals from the sky.
Thirty minutes later, a signal flickered in the communication system.
A wave of relief flooded through the ATC personnel. "Is everything fine?" the staff asked, holding his breath.
"Yes." The co-pilot replied, seeking permission to land.
"Runway clear for landing." ATC responded.
Police officers and Airport officials anxiously waited for the aircraft to descend. Emergency vehicles lined the runway.
As the airplane kissed the earth, the ATC official rushed forward, eager to uncover the reason for the communication breakdown.
“Why were you unable to contact us?” the officer asked.
“Sir, due to some technical snag in the communication system, we lost contact with you.” The pilot informed.
"Did you attempt to change frequencies?" the officer asked.
“Yes, tried a nearby airport, too, but no luck," the pilot replied.
“All 69 passengers okay?” inquired the officer.
“Yes, sir. Not sixty-nine but seventy passengers. One passenger managed to defy the laws and embarked on the flight without a ticket or a boarding pass.” The pilot answered.
"What? This is a grave matter, and we will take strict action against the staff for this security lapse. Where is the passenger?” The officer asked.
“Sir, calm down,” the co-pilot said and smiled.
The airport authorities were taken aback by the pilot's composure.
Sixty-eight passengers safely disembarked. The sixty-ninth and seventieth passengers deplaned. The pilot pointed his finger towards the seventieth passenger who had triggered this enigma. He was not a mastermind criminal. He was an innocent bundle cradled in the arms of a joyful passenger - a baby boy, born 30,000 feet in the air.
As news spread, the Sky Baby became an overnight star.
At times, what seems like an ending or a crisis may unfold as a new and positive beginning.
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