Chennai Airport closes main runway after Air Arabia passenger jumps off moving plane — here's what happened

A strange incident occurred on Air Arabia flight on Sunday morning which caused temporary closure of Chennai Airport's main runway. According to Hindustan Times report, a male passenger onboard Chennai-bound flight opened the emergency exit door upon touchdown while the flight was taxiing at the airport. After opening the exit door, he jumped off the aircraft, minutes after touchdown.

This incident was reported on Chennai International Airport when the plane from Sharjah was exiting the main runway and moving slowly towards the taxiway. The passenger, who had been uneasy while onboard the flight, took the drastic step after the plane landed, causing panic among fellow passengers. The alleged passenger fearing that someone was plotting to kill him opened the emergency door and ran across the tarmac, HT reported.

The Chennai Police confirmed the incident, saying that an Air Arabia passenger flight from Sharjah landed in Chennai in the early hours today.

“After touching down and taxiing along the runway, just as it was nearing its designated parking bay, a passenger suddenly opened the emergency exit door and jumped out, fleeing the scene,” police said.

“Following this, security personnel at Chennai Airport chased and apprehended the passenger on the runway,” police added.

The official said the passenger “sustained minor abrasions while jumping and was given first aid before being taken to a secure location within the airport for questioning.”

Police said the passenger is being interrogated in a separate room.

Meanwhile, a senior officer at Chennai International Airport told NDTV, “Yes, the flight was still slowly on the move as he jumped out. There was no loss of life or damage to the aircraft.”

‘Passenger was unwell’

Preliminary investigation revealed that the 29-year-old passenger was unwell during the journey. Suggesting that the passenger's condition may have contributed to his unreasonable actions, an official said, “He complained of a vomiting sensation and is believed to have vomited twice on board.”

This incident triggered an immediate security response after the pilot alerted ground security. Personnel from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) responded immediately and secured the individual. The passenger was handed over to the police for further investigation over misconduct.

Operations disrupted at Chennai airport

According to officials, this episode disrupted operations as it caused a temporary 1-hour closure between 03:23 am and 04:23 am. An international British Airways flight, BA0035, arriving from London, had to be diverted to Bengaluru. As a precautionary measure, other flights were diverted to the secondary runway when operations were suspended on the main runway.

Some media reports suggest that the passenger had been identified as Mohamed Najmudeen Sheriff, who hailed from Pudukkottai district in Tamil Nadu. He was travelling with a group of eight people. However, the passenger's identity has not been officially confirmed.

The flight G9 471, carrying 231 passengers, operated with an Airbus A320 aircraft, was airborne for more than two hours, according to information available on the flight tracking website flightradar24.

Mint could not officially confirm this development

Officials confirmed that there was no damage to the aircraft or injury to passengers or crew as authorities launched an investigation into this incident, which is considered a breach of aviation safety protocol.

One of the key aviation hubs in Southern India, Chennai airport operates with intersecting runways: the primary runway 07/25 and the secondary 12/30. This is a major key airport that handles over 20 million passengers annually and serves as a major gateway for flights connecting the Gulf region.

Even though few flights were diverted following the incident, officials said that the brief disruption caused no major operational impact. “During the main runway’s unavailability, some operations shifted to the secondary runway (12/30),” an official informed HT.

Officials further noted that at least five flights were delayed during this period, including those to Doha, Ahmedabad, and Dubai, with delays extending as long as 40 minutes.