No charges after boy boards plane without a ticket

The family of a 4-year-old boy who was able to pass through security and board a plane in Beijing without a ticket was released without charges, the civil aviation watchdog said on Tuesday.

The incident, which contributed to a five-hour delay for Juneyao Airlines flight HO1252 from the capital to Shanghai, happened at Beijing Capital International Airport on Sunday.

"A family of five-two parents and three children - had never taken a plane before, and the parents had misunderstood the airline's rules, believing a child under 1.2 meters tall did not need a ticket. So they did not buy one for their 4-year-old son," said Li Jicheng, deputy director of safety of the Civil Aviation Administration of China.