The Department of Transportation (DOTr), through the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), ordered Cathay Pacific to explain the alleged mishandling of a passenger’s passport at Mactan-Cebu International Airport last week, which led to the passenger missing the flight.
Based on the CAB’s incident report, the 65-year-old passenger was supposed to board Flight CX948 bound for Dubai on April 24, 2025.
It said during the check-in process, the passenger’s passport was allegedly torn while being handled by the airline staff, rendering it unusable and invalid for boarding.
The passenger also said that the airline staff did not provide any explanation or immediate assistance, and just continued to process other passengers instead.
CAB said it asked Cathay Pacific to submit an explanation on the incident by May 1, 2025.
DOTr Secretary Vince Dizon recently directed all airlines to ensure that no intentional tampering of passports occurs at airports, and reminded personnel to exercise their authority responsibly and respectfully when verifying the validity of travel documents. Darwin G. Amojelar
