Hong Kong Express Airways asks woman to take pregnancy test before boarding; apologises later
Midori Nishida, 25, was asked by Hong Kong Express Airways flight attendants to take a pregnancy test before she could board the flight. Nishida was traveling to the Island of Saipan, part of Northern Mariana Islands.
As per reports, the islands have become popular for foreign women to give birth as it makes the kids eligible for US citizenship. The airline said that it was trying to 'ensure US immigration laws were not undermined.'
As per the initial claims, the airline said that it was a 'fit-to-fly' assessment. However, an 'unreserved' apology has now been issued by Hong Kong Express Airways.
"We would like to apologise unreservedly to anyone who has been affected by this. We took actions on flights to Saipan from February 2019 to help ensure US immigration laws were not being undermined," Hong Kong Express Airways said in a statement to NBC News.
According to the territorial data, in 2018, more tourists than residents gave birth in the Northern Mariana Islands. Many women travel to Mariana Islands to give birth.
