Malaysian couple denied boarding to Turkey due to rain-soaked passport

A couple standing at an airport. Illustration photo by Freepik

Muhammad Fikry Azman, who is employed as a cleaner in Singapore, recently shared his experience in a TikTok video as a warning to others about the necessity of maintaining travel documents in excellent condition, as reported by the South China Morning Post.

The man recounted that he and his wife, Nur Amira Fatin Norazmi, were denied boarding on Dec. 17 after a heavy rainstorm had soaked his passport, making it 80% wet. Despite his attempts to dry it at the airport, the passport remained significantly damp.

The incident resulted in the couple, both aged 29, losing 16,000 ringgit (US$3,482) in travel expenses due to the boarding denial.

Azman also clarified in his video that it was an airline staff member, not an immigration officer, who rejected his passport.

As Azman’s story reached Quora, a Q&A platform, a user highlighted that airlines, who are responsible for the return of passengers denied entry, are thus particularly attentive to the state of travel documents.

Moreover, the actions of the airline staff are in line with common global procedures. Agencies like the Singaporean Immigration and Checkpoints Authority and the United States Department of State also say on their websites that water-damaged passports may result in entry or boarding refusal and require replacement.

Azman and his wife had been saving for their Turkey trip since their engagement in April, as per Business Insider. Their nine-day itinerary included Istanbul, Cappadocia, Pamukkale, and Bursa, and was also meant to celebrate their birthdays on Dec. 22 and 23.

The couple is now planning to fulfill their dream of visiting Turkey in 2024.