Post by : Rameen Ariff

A tense episode played out at Varanasi’s Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport when, officials say, a passenger aboard an Akasa Air service to Mumbai attempted to unlock the aircraft’s emergency exit as the plane taxied for departure on Monday evening.

Sources identified the man as Sujit Singh of Jaunpur district in Uttar Pradesh. Cabin crew quickly stepped in to stop the action, informed the cockpit and secured the cabin to avoid any risk while the aircraft was still moving on the ground.

Following protocol, the pilot ceased taxiing and brought the aircraft back to the parking bay. Passengers were disembarked safely and the jet underwent a full security sweep before any decision on departure was taken.

The flight, originally due to leave at 6:45 PM, was held on the ground for more than two hours and eventually departed for Mumbai at about 9:00 PM after engineers and security teams cleared the aircraft.

CISF and airport security detained Sujit Singh and handed him to local police for questioning. During initial questioning, he reportedly told investigators he acted out of curiosity to see how the emergency exit worked.

An Akasa Air spokesperson said the airline followed all safety procedures and reiterated that protection of passengers and crew is its top priority, adding the carrier has a strict zero-tolerance stance on disruptive conduct.

Aviation specialists warned that even when an aircraft is on the ground, tampering with emergency exits is a grave safety breach that can trigger alarms, disrupt services and attract serious legal penalties under aviation and criminal statutes.

Varanasi airport has seen similar incidents earlier this year, when another traveller allegedly meddled with an emergency-exit handle out of “curiosity,” causing delays and safety concerns.

Authorities have opened a thorough probe into the episode and said they will determine whether charges under the Aircraft Act or relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code apply.

#Travel