A passenger who boarded an Akasa Air flight from Varanasi heading to Mumbai was detained after he allegedly tried to open the emergency exit of the aircraft before takeoff. The officials said that the incident took place on the flight QP 1497. This flight was scheduled to depart from Lal Bahadur Shashtri International Airport, Varanasi, to Mumbai at 6:45 pm on November 3. The passenger who boarded this flight, Sujit Singh, is a resident of Gaura Badshahpur in Jaunpur District. When the aircraft was taxing towards the runway, Singh tried to open the emergency exit, the police said. After receiving an alert from the cabin crew, the pilot informed the Air Traffic Control (ATC) and brought the aircraft back to the apron.
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Akasa Air spokesperson said, "A passenger on flight QP 1497, scheduled to operate from Varanasi to Mumbai on November 03, 2025, attempted to open an emergency exit door cover without authorization while the aircraft was still stationary at the parking bay. The individual was identified, and in line with standard operating protocols, was offloaded and handed over to the relevant authorities. All passengers and crew are safe. The aircraft was thoroughly inspected and cleared by our engineering team before the flight departed at 21:00 hours. At Akasa Air, the safety of our passengers and crew is our highest priority. We maintain a strict zero-tolerance policy towards any disruptive behaviour."
The security personnel made sure all passengers deboarded the flight safely and took Sujit Singh into custody for questioning, the police said. Passengers told investigating officers that Sujit Singh tried to open the exit ‘out of curiosity,’ said Phoolpur Station House Officer (SHO) Praveen Kumar Singh.
Sujit Singh has been booked, and the flight from Varanasi departed for Mumbai at around 7:45 pm after getting security clearance.