Varanasi: A passenger aboard an Akasa Air flight from Varanasi to Mumbai was detained on Monday evening after he allegedly attempted to open the aircraft’s emergency exit before take-off, airport officials confirmed on Tuesday.
The incident occurred on flight QP 1497, which was scheduled to depart from Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport at 6.45 p.m. As the aircraft was taxiing towards the runway, crew members noticed the passenger, identified as Sujit Singh from Gaura Badshahpur in Jaunpur district, trying to tamper with the exit door.Airline staff immediately intervened and alerted security personnel. The aircraft was brought to a halt, and the passenger was handed over to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and local police for questioning.
According to airport authorities, Singh’s actions were noticed before the safety of the aircraft or passengers was compromised. “The crew followed standard safety protocols and prevented any untoward incident,” an official said.Following the incident, security personnel conducted a thorough inspection of the aircraft before granting clearance for departure. The flight later proceeded to Mumbai after a brief delay.Police have taken the passenger into custody and are investigating the motive behind his behaviour. Preliminary reports suggest that the man may have acted out of confusion rather than intent to cause harm, but officials said a detailed inquiry is underway.
The incident has prompted authorities to review passenger awareness and security measures, particularly during the boarding and taxiing phases of flights. Such attempts to tamper with emergency exits are treated as serious offences under Indian aviation law, attracting potential criminal charges and flight bans for endangering passenger safety.
