Tallying the number of passengers with baggage was a security measure introduced after the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, when it was alleged that a suitcase holding the bomb travelled unaccompanied from Malta to Germany and the UK.

An Air Malta probe into the Manchester flight that was rerouted to base last week has found that “some processes were inadequate and others were not followed” in relation to security precautions.

The airline yesterday confirmed there were discrepencies between the number of passengers on the flight and the checked-in baggage.

This sort of discrepency is considered in the aviation industry as a serious security breach.

The airline also admitted for the first time – confirming the report in the Times of Malta last Tuesday – that Flight 146 to Manchester had to return to pick up two stranded passengers.

It said that the discrepencies between passengers and baggage led to two travellers, a Chinese and a Briton, “being inadvertently left at the gate”.

The incident, it added, “caused considerable inconvenience to Air Malta’s passengers and cost the airline €2,000”.

When asked about the incident earlier this week, Air Malta had admitted to the baggage discrepancies but had failed to mention the stranded passengers. Yesterday it said corrective action would be taken in its processes and policies “to prevent such incidents repeating themselves”.

Tallying the number of passengers with baggage was a security measure introduced after the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, when it was alleged that a suitcase holding the bomb travelled unaccompanied from Malta to Germany and the UK.

The national carrier also said it would be taking disciplinary measures against those employees involved in the incident.

In line with collective agreements, Air Malta will not seek to name and shame the employees at the heart of the incident or to dismiss them from the company.

“Nor will it publish the investigation report because it contains sensitive security information that is not for public consumption.”

The incident caused considerable inconvenience to passengers and cost the airline €2,000

The company, however, underlined that the report has been passed to the aviation regulator and to Tourism Minister Edward Zammit Lewis, who is responsible for the airline.

Air Malta’s statement quoted CEO Philip Micallef saying that “the corrective action required will be applied immediately”.

He appealed to all those involved, including unions and staff, to collaborate with Air Malta on the actions to be taken in everyone’s interest.

This newspaper reported on Tuesday that 40 minutes into the flight, the captain announced on the public address system that he was flying the plane back, as some passengers had been left behind.

Air Malta sources had told the Times of Malta that two passengers who were travelling privately through discounted fares offered to Air Malta staff members had to make way for the two stranded passengers who had paid the full fare.

This was because the flight was fully booked and there were no other seats available.