Passenger jumps from taxiing Air Arabia flight at Chennai International Airport

An unwell male passenger caused panic early morning at Chennai International Airport when he opened an emergency exit door and jumped out of a slowly moving Air Arabia plane as it was taxiing after landing.

The incident occurred shortly after the flight, which had arrived from Sharjah, touched down. The aircraft had exited the main runway and was moving slowly along a taxiway before coming to a complete halt when the sudden act took place.

According to airport officials, the passenger had been unwell during the journey. An official noted that the passenger had complained of a vomiting sensation and is believed to have vomited twice on board, indicating that his physical condition may have contributed to his actions.

A senior officer at Chennai International Airport confirmed the details of the incident, stating that the flight was still slowly on the move as the passenger jumped out. The officer clarified that the incident did not occur on the main runway and resulted in no loss of life or damage to the aircraft.

Immediately after the passenger jumped, the pilot alerted ground security. Personnel from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) responded swiftly to the taxiway and secured the individual. He was subsequently handed over to the police for further investigation.

The episode briefly disrupted operations at Chennai International Airport. Officials stated that the main runway was shut down between 03:23 am and 04:23 am as a precautionary measure. During this one-hour period, arriving flights were diverted to the secondary runway.

Although authorities have not officially confirmed the identity of the passenger, unverified reports suggest he may be a resident of the Pudukkottai district in Tamil Nadu.

Airport authorities have launched an investigation into the breach of aviation safety protocol. Officials confirmed that despite the alarming nature of the incident, there were no injuries to other passengers or crew, and the aircraft remained undamaged.