With more than 700 flights scheduled from Oct. 31 to Nov. 5, low-cost airline AirAsia Philippines is cautioning the public on saying bomb jokes in airports as part of its security efforts.
In a statement, the airline said it takes serious actions on bomb jokes “as it can disrupt not only the involved flight, but also all the succeeding flights carried by the same aircraft and affect other airline operations or worse, divert flights.”
It cited an instance of a passenger who joked about a bomb in his luggage in a flight bound for Manila from Narita in Japan, which led to a mandatory security screening of the aircraft, baggage, and cargo, along with a passenger bound for Tacloban who was nabbed by police security and banned from flying with the airline after threatening to “blow up the airline” because he missed his flight.
“As a matter of strict protocol, all matters of security such as bomb jokes are taken seriously. AirAsia Philippines reminds the public that there's no excuse for cracking a bomb joke on the ground and in flight as it immediately raises the alarm among personnel and can cause discomfort among other guests. Not only does it cause trouble, it may also traumatize first-time travelers,” said AirAsia Philippines Communications and Public Affairs Country Head, First Officer Steve Dailisan.
The airline also reminded the public of the serious penalties related to bomb jokes, in accordance with Presidential Decree 1727 and Republic Act 11479 or the “Anti-Terrorism Act of 2000.” Both laws pertaining to “malicious dissemination of false information of the willful making of any threat concerning bombs, explosives, or any similar devices” indicate penalties of up to five years in prison or a fine of P40,000.
Dalisan shared that AirAsia is expecting to fly 60,000 additional guests from Oct. 31 to Nov. 5, with majority of passengers travelling to Cebu, Boracay, Panglao, Tacloban, Davao, and Iloilo; Incheon, South Korea; Taipei, Taiwan; Bangkok, Thailand; Osaka and Narita, Japan; Hong Kong and Macao, China.“
Other guests opted to exercise their right of suffrage for the Baranggay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE). Guests from Metro Manila also took advantage of the weekend break to visit the grave of their loved ones. With these important things accomplished, what’s left to do is enjoy their vacation and visit their travel bucket list,” Dailisan added.