Passenger opens emergency exit of moving flight at Chennai airport, arrested

An Air Arabia passenger opened an emergency exit door while the aircraft was taxiing at Chennai International Airport. The pilot halted the flight, CISF personnel responded, and the passenger is being questioned.

In Short

• Flight from Sharjah had 231 passengers on board
• Pilot stopped aircraft and alerted authorities immediately
• Passenger arrested and under questioning, mental health being assessed

Tension prevailed for a while after a passenger opened an emergency exit door while a flight was taxiing at Chennai International Airport on Sunday morning.

An Air Arabia flight carrying 231 passengers arrived in Chennai from Sharjah at around 3:50 am. A passenger opened the ‘Emergency Exit’ of the aircraft while it was on the taxiway after landing. As the aircraft moved along the taxiway—the designated path connecting the runway and the terminal—a 34-year-old male passenger from Pudukkottai suddenly opened one of the emergency exit doors.

The pilot immediately halted the aircraft at the taxi parking area and alerted authorities, reporting the incident.

Personnel from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), along with bomb squad experts carrying AK-47 rifles and armed officers, rushed to the spot where the aircraft had stopped. The pilot lodged a formal complaint with the authorities.

Security personnel boarded the aircraft and caught the passenger. They took him into custody and began questioning him, while also assessing his mental condition. The aircraft remained stationed at the same location following the incident.

Due to the disruption, the Air Arabia flight scheduled to depart for Sharjah at 6:50 am was delayed by nearly three hours. Further investigation is underway.

- Ends
With PTI inputs.