Man Arrested For Buying Plane Ticket To Send Wife Off At Changi Airport

Woman: Honey, will you send me off at the airport?

Man: Of course, but here’s a better idea: I’ll follow you into the transit area. Just buy a boarding ticket lah.

Maybe this guy was trying to score husband points.. or he’s just a really sweet guy who happens to have a lot of money to spare.

Unfortunately, the police didn’t find his actions very sweet.

A Facebook post by Singapore Police Force stated that a 27-year-old man was arrested on Sunday, 25 August for misusing his boarding pass to enter the transit area of Changi Airport.

Further investigations found that he entered the transit area to send his wife off, but had no intention of actually boarding the plane to fly off.

You must be thinking: He had no ill intentions! He just wanted to send his wife off!

Sadly, the law doesn’t give any concession for romance.

Misusing A Boarding Pass Is An Offence

Those who misuse their boarding pass to enter transit areas with no intention to travel are liable for an offence under the Infrastructure Protection Act.

The punishment? The offender may be prosecuted in court and fined up to $20,000 or be jailed for up to 2 years, or both.

It’s actually a really serious offence because the transit area is a protected area, where only passengers who intend to travel can enter with a boarding pass.

There’s even a massive signboard warning us not to do this at the entrance of the transit area, but apparently, a couple of people still haven’t gotten the memo.

Other Incidences

A string of other similar incidences has occurred in the past.

In March a 42-year-old woman from Macau was charged in court for the same offence. This time, her reason was to claim a goods and services tax (GST) refund but didn’t plan on leaving Singapore.

In January 2018, 2 women were charged in separate incidences. One had bought an air ticket to meet members of a South Korean boy band – that dedication though – while another bought it to shop at retail stores in the transit area.