The 25-year-old man, who has not been identified, was able to slip through airline workers and make his way onto a flight to Geneva, Switzerland, on Sunday.

Passengers were forced to move onto another flight after the man was discovered by shocked crew members moments before take off. It is believed he had lost track of time in the departure lounge and by the time he realised he had missed his flight, it was too late. The man then decided to sneak on to the plane in the hope of finding an empty seat but when he saw the flight was full, he tried to hide in the toilet.

Crew members spotted him moments before the plane was about to take off and he was removed and detained by police for questioning.

A witness told local media: ‘Everyone was shocked, we just don’t understand how security can let this man through in the first place. ‘The plane was completely checked, but some people were pretty scared and they simply refused to get back on board.’ An investigation has now been launched by easyJet into how the stowaway managed to get on board the flight.

An easyJet spokeswoman said: ‘easyJet can confirm that on November 12 a flight from London Gatwick to Geneva was met by the police due to a passenger who incorrectly boarded the aircraft. ‘The crew correctly identified the passenger should not be on board and immediately reported it to the police. We have taken this up with our ground staff and an investigation has been launched. ‘easyJet works closely with all of our airports to ensure the safety and security of all passengers and staff. The safety and well-being of our passengers and crew is always easyJet’s number one priority.’