A Bacolod-Manila flight was delayed for nearly two hours on Saturday morning at Bacolod-Silay Airport due to a misunderstanding arising from a conversation between two LGBT passengers.
According to Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) spokesperson Eric Apolonio, the incident involved two men engaged in casual conversation aboard the plane.
During their chat, one asked the other if he had run out of “watusi,” a term used within the LGBTQ community to refer to condoms.
However, “watusi” is also a common name for a type of firecracker in the Philippines.
A cabin crew member overheard their conversation while arranging luggage and became alarmed, thinking they were discussing explosives.
Concerned about the potential threat, the flight attendant approached the passengers to clarify the meaning of “watusi.”
The passenger explained that he was referring to condoms, not firecrackers, and apologized for the misunderstanding.
As a precaution, all passengers and cargo were temporarily offloaded, allowing K9 units and security personnel to conduct a thorough inspection of the plane.
Once the aircraft was deemed safe, the flight proceeded to Manila.
The two passengers involved in the incident were transferred to another flight.