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Passenger Jumps From Taxiing Air Arabia Jet in Chennai, Triggering Runway Shutdown

Authorities opened an investigation into the safety breach that forced a brief runway closure.

Overview

  • The Air Arabia flight from Sharjah, which landed in Chennai early Sunday, was taxiing when a male passenger opened an emergency exit and jumped onto the taxiway.
  • The pilot stopped the Airbus A320 and alerted ground teams, as CISF security personnel detained the man on the tarmac and handed him to police.
  • Chennai’s primary runway was shut for about an hour as a precaution, which pushed several departures to the secondary strip and diverted a British Airways arrival to Bengaluru.
  • Officials reported no injuries to passengers or crew and no aircraft damage, with the jet towed from the taxiway around 4:25 am and full operations resuming about 4:35 am.
  • Police are questioning the passenger and assessing his condition, with officials saying he felt nauseous during the flight and reportedly vomited twice.