Passenger escorted onto plane by armed officers

[latesummerreminiscing]

I took a flight from Germany to the UK yesterday and noticed at the gate were two armed officers waiting with a paper document at the gate. Then, that particular passenger was escorted onto the plane before anyone else, by both officers, they filled out paperwork before the rest were allowed onto the flight. No police were not with him on the flight though. He was in the front seat and very calm during the flight. What on earth was this about?? Lots of people were really worried

I don’t see why you were worried, he obviously didn’t have anything with him. Most likely he was being returned from the airport

How do you mean, like kicked out of the country? I thought it was so odd that the officers were heavily armed!

Turned up at passport control with the wrong docs etc.

Police are heavily armed at the airport anyway! Even in the UK.

Standard at all airports.

They were probably the only ones available.

Being Deported or extradited? Some kind of prisoner I would guess?

edited- sorry I misread and thought the officers escorted him back. Doesn’t sound serious

Aren’t all police officers in airports armed?

British paedo being deported ?

I would have been keeping an eye on him myself! Surely if he was dangerous though the police would have stayed with him. On the other hand why did he have to be escorted on to the plane?

Was he met at the other end by police officers or any other airport officials?

If there was anything dangerous then the officers would have gone with him on the plane
Airport police are always armed
Likely an extradition or similar

If it was anything to worry about I suppose he would have had the police stay with him.
I'm not sure why he was escorted on by police but I don't think it would worry me I would be really curious about what was happening though.

No, at least I didn't see it! That made it even more weird!

Exactly this! There were loads of children on the plane and lots of people seemed uneasy.

Sounds like he was no more of a possible threat than any other passenger, otherwise the police would've stayed with him 🤷‍♂️

Probably just refused entry to the UK on arrival. They get taken into the aircraft to make sure they’re on it, I imagine.

Well if he'd been escorted by police they would already have searched him, so no chance he'd have a weapon or anything on him.

I would assume a prisoner being extradited, but no police at the other end seems odd... maybe he just wasn't allowed in Germany for some reason, so was escorted out but was legally free to go in the UK?

All airport police are heavily armed.

No but it was on the way to the UK. From a German airport to the UK

It sounds like a deportation. They’ll have escorted him on board to make sure he actually got on the flight. After that point, he’s not their problem, hence not being met at the other end or accompanied during the flight. Presumably there was no reason to suspect he was a safety risk, so no need for them to stay with him. They’ll have been armed because police officers in airports are routinely armed.

German police are always armed and of course border security too. Likelihood he was being escorted out of the country. They are not going to care at the other end! That’s the UKs problem!

I have seen this a couple of time, once we had to wait quite a while for the "passenger" to board first.

Everyone was getting a lot more annoyed about the delay than anything else, can't see the captain happy to fly if there was any risk?

Someone too drunk would be kicked off, so the "passenger" can't be much of a risk

Oh this makes sense! Thank you so much!

Yes - Germany looking to ensure he left, UK not concerned to receive him (eg for trial - so not an extradition). He was deported from Germany to they-couldn’t-care-less. He was obviously not dangerous or he would have had a police escort or have been met at disembarkation after a courtesy suggestion by Germany.

Ha - cross posted with MirrorMirror.

Pretty clearly someone who tried to enter Germany from the UK who was turned away and being returned by their regular airport police. Presumably a Brit with a soon to expire passport.

Have you not noticed that all Police in Germany are armed? Anyway, there have been plenty of good explanations.