A South American airline that let a passenger board a flight to New Zealand despite being told by Immigration NZ not to do so has been fined for failing to comply with its legal obligations.
Photo: 123RF
LATAM Airlines has been fined $11,700 in the Manukau District Court.
The passenger was a Syrian using a passport for foreigners issued by the Brazilian government that noted his nationality.
Immigration New Zealand said the check-in agent at Santiago airport in Chile incorrectly entered the nationality as Brazilian, and the passenger was allowed on the plane even though the agency told him by phone and email not to let him board.
The man was deported the day he arrived.
It is the third time the airline has been prosecuted under the Immigration Act. It has also been also issued with 590 infringement notices in the past five years.
