Passenger jumps off taxiing plane at Chennai airport
Man opens emergency exit and leaps out of an Air Arabia flight shortly after it lands in Chennai, triggering a security response and briefly shutting main runway
A man on board a Sharjah-Chennai Air Arabia flight shocked fellow passengers on Sunday (May 3) after he reportedly opened the emergency exit and jumped out when the plane was still taxiing at Chennai International Airport.
The plane had landed and cleared the main runway, moving slowly along a taxiway. The sudden act triggered immediate panic among passengers and prompted a rapid security response. He was subsequently handed over to the police for further investigation.
Passenger believed to be unwell
Airport officials suggested the man may have been unwell during the flight. "He complained of a vomiting sensation and is believed to have vomited twice on board," an official was quoted as saying by reports, indicating his condition may have prompted the dangerous act.
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A senior airport official confirmed there was no loss of life, injury to passengers or crew, or damage to the aircraft. The pilot alerted ground security immediately after the man jumped. "Yes, the plane was still slowly on the move as he jumped out," the official said.
Runway briefly shut as precaution
The incident briefly disrupted airport operations. The main runway was closed between 3.23 am and 4.23 am as a precaution, with incoming and outgoing flights diverted to the secondary runway during that period.
Unverified reports suggest the passenger may be from Pudukkottai district in Tamil Nadu. Authorities have launched an investigation into the serious breach of aviation safety protocol.