Nael, a 27-year-old French father, was refused boarding on a Saudia Airlines flight to Indonesia because of a minor tear on his passport page.
The family spent nearly 3,000 euros for the trip with their son after spending nine months organizing the vacation, according to reporting by Le Parisien republished by La Depeche du Midi. A Saudia Airlines agent declined to take a risk and told Nael that he would not board the aircraft.
Nael possessed a valid passport and a visa for Indonesia. He told Le Parisien that he had never imagined a small tear on the identity page could prevent them from leaving. He added that he had used the exact same passport in Mexico, Turkey, Morocco, and Greece a few months earlier without anyone making any remark.
Airline refusal and refund policy
Nael also criticized the handling of the incident by Saudia Airlines. He said the airline issued no document explaining the refusal and marked his customer account as a no-show for boarding. Consequently, Saudia Airlines refused to refund the tickets, holding the passenger responsible for the disruption.
Official passport damage rules
The French National Agency for Secure Titles, known as ANTS, confirmed that the carrier acted within regulations. Questioned by Le Parisien, the agency said the decision was justified despite its severity, explaining that every passport must remain intact and that any degradation requires applying for a new document.
