Man with Covid disguises himself as a woman to board a plane

IIt worked for Dustin Hoffman in “Tootsie,” and it helped Bugs Bunny outsmart Elmer Fudd on numerous occasions. But an Indonesian who dressed with niqab – a veil that covers the entire face except the eyes – is now at risk of arrest for attempting to evade Covid protocols by disguising herself as a woman, CNN Indonesia reported.

The man, who was identified by authorities only as “DW”, had tested positive for Covid-19. He then disguised himself as his wife and used his identification and negative PCR test to board a Citilink domestic flight from Jakarta to Ternate. Citilink is a low-cost airline operated by Garuda Indonesia, the country’s largest airline.

Perhaps the most remarkable part of the caper is that the man almost got away with it. After deceiving airport and airline authorities at Halim Perdana Kusuma Airport in Jakarta, the man made a crucial mistake mid-flight, entering the plane’s toilet in a woman’s attire and came out in a man’s outfit. An observer flight attendant noticed the unusual transformation and informed ground authorities, who were waiting at Ternate to apprehend the passenger as he got off the plane.

Like many places around the world, Indonesia is seeing a slight increase in Covid-19 cases. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) currently has Indonesia under a Level 4 travel health advisory, which means a “very high” level of Covid-19 and a “avoid travel” advisory.

Attempts to deceive the air authorities with disguises are rare but not unheard of. Last month, a viral TikTok video shows how a woman managed to sidestep additional carry-on baggage charges by pretending to be pregnant.

And in 2010, a young Chinese man disguised as an elderly Caucasian man was caught on a flight from Hong Kong to Canada after coming out of a mid-flight plane toilet without his silicone mask, according to reports.