Ticketless Briton who claimed to have no money, leaves Manila after 22-day airport stay
(01-11 12:54)
A middle-aged British man, who spent 22 days at the Manila airport unable to leave Philippines will finally be leaving the country, media reports said. His destination is unknown and it is also not known how he entered the country without adequate money.
Gary Peter Austin, 52, had told airport workers at Ninoy Aquino International Airport who befriended him, that he had very little money and that his outbound ticket had been cancelled by the airline. In a global survey was last year, the airport was rated the worst in Asia.
Gulf News reports that the man is a former jockey and had landed in Philippines on November 29 last year on a Gulf Air flight from Bahrain.
Phillippine Inquirer reported yesterday that British Embassy officials had met him at the airport and are helping him to book a flight out.
Asked by Gulf News about why the man’s electronic ticket had been cancelled, Gulf Air refused to comment. The Manila Standard Today said his travel agent had canceled the ticket. He did not have enough money to buy a ticket, either.
Manila officials also declined comment.
The man had been living in the airport’s terminal 1, and had sustained himself with the help of some airport workers and strangers, media reports said.
Phillippine Inquirer cited the Briton telling a janitor at the airport as saying that “he was just waiting for a friend from Kuwait to help him.’’
The man was first scheduled to leave Manila on December 17 but ended up stranded.
|
|
|
|
