A British man who successfully snuck onto a flight from London to New York City without a passport or plane ticket has gone missing, U.K. authorities say.
Craig Sturt, 46, stowed away on a British Airways flight that landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Christmas Eve 2023, the New York Post reported.
Amazingly, Sturt was allegedly able to navigate through security checkpoints and the boarding gate at Heathrow Airport without showing proper documentation.
“Sturt allegedly boarded and found a seat on the fully booked, international flight because some passengers had missed their connection at the airport,” the outlet reported, detailing how the undocumented passenger enjoyed free food and drinks on his free overseas flight.
Once in the U.S., Sturt’s luck ran out at a customs checkpoint.
After failing to show documents to JFK Airport officials, the British man was arrested and “promptly escorted back onto a returning flight to Heathrow.”
Upon his Christmas Day return, Sturt was taken to a hospital, though the reason is unclear.
U.K. police charged the unauthorized traveler with Obtaining Services by Deception, Being Unlawfully Airside, and Boarding an Aircraft without permission, the Sun reported.
Somehow, Sturt has managed to further evade authorities and has recently been reported missing, according to the outlet:
But last night it emerged that in a further humiliation for UK police, Mr Sturt was then the subject of an “urgent missing person appeal.”
A warrant was issued for his arrest on January 22.
Thames Valley Police issue dan alert on January 30:
Urgent missing person appeal. Please can you help us find Craig? The 46-year-old is 6ft, slim, with short dark brown hair.
When he was last seen, he was wearing a grey jacket, a top, black jogging bottoms and white trainers.
Craig was last seen in Reading, but is from Slough and also has links to Heathrow and the Tottenham Court Road in London. If you see Craig, please do not approach him, instead call 999.
“I don’t know how Craig has managed to dodge security at the UK’s biggest airport and fly to America without a passport and ticket,” Sturt’s brother, Lee Smith, told the outlet.
According to Smith, Craig has a “troubled past” and warned that something “sinister” could happen.
“It’s ridiculous this could happen. If Craig, with a troubled past, could dodge security then presumably anyone else with sinister motives could do the same,” he said. “Heads should roll. How has this been allowed to happen?”
