Passenger Denied Boarding Over Passport Damage
A holidaymaker from Erdington, Birmingham, claims she was stopped from boarding a Ryanair flight to Lanzarote due to a tiny 1.5cm rip in her passport. Rachael Norton-Voysey, 33, had been set to fly from Birmingham Airport on June 4 for a five-day getaway with a friend when Ryanair staff refused her travel at the boarding gate.
Rachael said she was 'shocked' to be told she couldn't fly because of the rip, which runs along the right side of the photo page. She insists the damage 'doesn't obscure' any pictures or details. Despite this, staff were 'petty' in her view, and her friend also decided to miss the holiday, leading both to make the 'sad' train journey back home.
Details of the Incident
Rachael described the moment they were turned away: 'We got to the gate and handed in my passport at that point to get onto the plane and he said it was ripped and they wouldn't let us through. It was horrible. That feeling where your stomach just drops knowing we wouldn't be going on holiday at that point. There's no arguing with them once they do that.'
Her friend could have travelled alone but chose not to, and they were escorted out after boarding was complete. Rachael added: 'We had to watch everyone get onto the flight. I was completely shocked as I've travelled on [this passport] for ages. It's a tiny rip really. It's not on any of the details and it doesn't obscure anything.'
Passport Condition and UK Government Guidance
The UK Government's website warns that any passport with a rip is considered 'damaged' and must be replaced, as travellers may not be able to fly with it. HM Passport Office states: 'If your passport is damaged you must replace it. You may not be able to travel with it. [...] any of the pages are ripped, cut or missing.'
Rachael had owned the passport for eight years and was unaware of when the rip occurred. She suspects it may have happened during a previous trip abroad, which is why she never thought to check it. 'I had no reason to worry about it, which is the thing that's annoyed me,' she said.
Ryanair's Response
A spokesperson for Ryanair confirmed the incident, stating: 'This passenger was correctly refused travel from Birmingham to Lanzarote (4 Jun) as her passport was damaged and therefore not valid for travel.'
Rachael revealed that she and her friend have rearranged their Airbnb stay and hope to finally fly to Lanzarote in September. She is now spreading awareness to prevent others from facing similar issues.
Advice for Holidaymakers
Rachael urged travellers: 'Check your passport well before you're going to travel, put it in a case and get travel insurance because we also didn't have travel insurance, which could've saved us a bit. Everyone should check their passports because it might be fine nine times out of 10 but that one time might ruin a holiday.'
She also plans to use a passport holder for her new passport and advised others to do the same. Even an immigration staff member at the airport reportedly said the decision was 'harsh', but Ryanair stood by its policy.
