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Manila’s NAIA Terminal Staff Is No Longer Allowed To Touch Passports After Damage Fiasco
There is an interesting case about airport procedures coming from Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport, which has just introduced a new rule that terminal staff conducting security checks are no longer allowed to touch passengers’ passports. This comes after an incident a short while ago […]
There is an interesting case about airport procedures coming from Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport, which has just introduced a new rule that terminal staff conducting security checks are no longer allowed to touch passengers’ passports.
This comes after an incident a short while ago where a passenger’s passport was damaged at check-i,n and he was then denied boarding for his flight to Indonesia, prompting an outcry in online media.
The airport wants to avoid taking any responsibility, let alone liability, for passports being damaged in any way and since Manila Airport isn’t exactly the most scandal-free airport (it’s the home of the infamous bullet scam) they decided the best is to prompt passengers to hold the passports up visibly for any check required.
Exempt from this rule are interactions where the physical passport has to be handed over, such as check-in, where airline staff are responsible, and passport control, where immigration officers take brief custody of the document.
I read about this case this morning when an article from ABS popped up on my social media.
NAIA security personnel no longer allowed to touch passports
The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) operator said it has instructed security personnel “not to touch passports during terminal entry and security verification.”
“Passengers will simply be asked to show their valid ID or travel document by holding it up themselves,” the New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC) said in an advisory.
The new policy followed a viral social media post where an elderly man bound for Bali, Indonesia was allegedly denied boarding due to a tear on his passport.
“The recent incident involving a torn passport occurred at an airline check-in counter at NAIA Terminal 3. There has been no report of any mishandling involving NAIA security personnel,” the NNIC said.
It said it was working closely with airlines, the Department of Transportation (DOTr), and the Bureau of Immigration (BI) “to strengthen procedures and make sure incidents like this do not happen again.”
There is some kind of weird logic in this. Damaged passports are basically invalid for travel and certain countries have become known to be VERY picky about this.
Indonesia has been the most prolific about denying entry to passengers with damaged passports and to send such passengers back to their origin.
This includes damages to any kind of passport, including the cover where the chip is integrated, the data page, or individual pages. It really is a problem because as a frequent traveler with a 10 year validity passport it’s inevitable to have some wear and tear, sometimes even superficial damage.
So far, I have never had issues except for the previous version of the German passport that was notorious for having the data page simply break off if the passport was used (folded) extensively. Thankfully I always carry two passports but a passport damage is super inconvenient and expensive.
Conclusion
As far as the situation in Manila is concerned, passengers now have to present their passports to airport staff by holding it up themselves and allowing the employees to inspect it in a convenient way.
This comes after some controversy involving a male passenger who had his passport damaged by check-in staff in Manila and was subsequently denied boarding to Indonesia, notorious for denying entry to travelers with damaged passports.
The airport authorities want to avoid being responsible for such an incident and have instructed employees not to touch passengers’ passports anymore. This doesn’t apply to check-in and immigration employees.
