Passengers on a flight were thrown into panic after a man allegedly attempted to open an emergency exit while the aircraft was in the air.
Footage circulating on social media showed the man moving towards the emergency exit before cabin crew members and some passengers intervened and restrained him.
The incident reportedly caused tension inside the cabin, with some passengers seen standing in the aisle while others filmed the confrontation with their mobile phones.
According to a social media post accompanying the footage, the man suddenly headed for the emergency exit, prompting the crew to act quickly to prevent him from gaining access to the door.
Additional footage showed cabin crew members struggling with the man as other passengers watched the incident unfold.
The man was eventually brought under control, preventing the situation from escalating further.
However, several details surrounding the incident remained unclear as of the time of filing this report.
It was not immediately known whether the emergency exit was successfully opened, what prompted the man’s alleged action, or whether he was handed over to security personnel after the aircraft landed.
The identity of the passenger, the airline, flight number, route and destination were also not confirmed from the footage and reports available online.
The incident comes amid renewed attention to aviation security following a separate incident involving a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, in which the co-pilot was accused of attacking the captain with an emergency crash axe and attempting to take control of the aircraft.
The United Arab Emirates Attorney-General described that incident as an attempted terrorist act, while reports said passengers and crew members intervened before the aircraft was safely landed in Saudi Arabia. There is, however, no indication that the latest incident is connected to the flydubai case.
Aviation authorities and the airline involved had yet to issue an official statement confirming the circumstances surrounding the reported attempt to open the emergency exit.