At this airport, no one will touch our passport anymore. New instructions have been issued

Manila International Airport on the island of Luzon in the Philippines has introduced new rules for its employees. From now on, airport staff will no longer touch passengers' passports. Instead, tourists will have to hold their passports open in their hands during document control. In this way, the airport authorities want to avoid any liability for mechanical damage caused by travelers, which could lead to denial of entry to the country.

No more touching passports

While the ban on touching passports is reminiscent of airport restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, this time it’s something completely different. Manila Airport has instructed its employees to avoid touching tourists’ most important travel document from now on. “Passengers will simply be asked to show a valid ID by presenting it in person,” New NAIA, the company that manages the international airport in the Philippine capital, told its subordinates.

A damaged passport means the end of your travel dreams

The new policy is intended to protect staff from accusing passengers of damaging the document, such as tearing or tearing it. A passport that has mechanical defects may be grounds for refusing further travel at both the departure airport and the country of arrival.

It was the recent incident in Manila involving a Cebu Pacific passenger that prompted the change in policy. The woman was supposed to fly to Bali, but a small tear in her passport prevented her from boarding the plane. There have been many more such incidents in the past at other airports. Another traveler, also bound for an Indonesian island, was turned away from check-in because of damage to the edges of her document at an airport in Australia.

When planning a vacation, remember to secure your passport. This document must remain intact – private notes are also not allowed , as an American tourist recently learned at an airport in Poland.

Read also: Serious crisis at US airport. Controllers shocked after losing contact with pilot Read also: "Re-Stalinization" of Russian airport. Putin changes name after 50 years