200 flights cancelled as a young man walks through wrong door at Munich airport

Munich : A man who was returning from his Thailand holiday marched through a wrong door at the Munich Airport, triggering massive security alert and forcing the partial shutdown of the airport for several hours and the cancellation of nearly 200 flights.

According to authorities quoted in a news report, he had briefly left a passenger area to use the restroom and became confused when he returned and all the other passengers were gone.

The man then attempted to find his connecting flight to Madrid. In the process he pressed a button that opened emergency doors that led to a restricted area reserved for passengers who’d already been cleared by security, Bavarian news outlet BR24 and local newspaper Merkur reported.

The action from man triggered security alert, forcing partial evacuation of two of the airport’s terminals.

Nearly, 5000 passengers had to face the trouble with a lockdown that lasted for around four hours.

Munich Airport is one of Germany’s busiest aviation hubs — and is especially crowded during the peak summer travel season.

Police did not identify the man but said he is from Spain and in his 20s. He was detained and questioned by police, who said he was “horrified” by his mistake. They said he is unlikely to face consequences because the incident was a mistake, the Associated Press reported.