UK airline drops Afrikaans test for SA travellers: BBC

Ryanair has dropped a controversial test in Afrikaans aimed at identifying passengers travelling on fake SA passports, the BBC reported.

The broadcaster quoted the airline’s boss Michael O’Leary as saying imposing the test,  which sparked a storm of outrage in SA, “doesn’t make any sense”.

Bloomberg previously reported the low-cost airline imposed the measure to prevent the use of fraudulent passports. The quiz contained 15 general knowledge questions about SA, including a multiple choice to identify the nation’s capital, which side of the road people drive on, the name of the president and the country’s highest mountain.

Reuters reported the home affairs department had labelled the Ryanair policy a “backward profiling system” which failed to acknowledge  government's efforts to clamp down on fake passports.

The department said it “regularly communicates with all airlines to update them on how to validate SA passports, including the look and feel”.

All airlines have access to an advanced passenger processing system which enables them to screen travellers before they depart. The government also runs a 24-hour service which airlines can use if they want to authenticate SA passports, the department said.

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