Seoul, South Korea: A video has recently gone viral on social media in which it can be seen that a male passenger attempted to open the emergency exit door mid-flight on a Korean Air plane. The incident occurred on Friday (November 8) onboard flight KE658, traveling from Bangkok, Thailand to Seoul in South Korea. The passengers were in a state of panic as the passenger tried to open the emergency exit mid-air. However, the brave cabin crew members intervened and stopped the man and saved the lives of hundreds of passengers onboard the flight.
The video of the incident was initially shared on TikTok by user Jackson Lee (@whojacksonlee). The video shows the passenger trying repeatedly to turn the emergency exit door handle. Fortunately, the door did not open, but the scene became tense as crew members quickly stepped in, surrounded the man and restrained him to prevent further actions.
It can be seen in the video that a female flight attendant jumps to the handle of the emergency exit door and stops the passenger from opening the door. Other cabin crew members also intervene swiftly and stop the man and took him to safety. The video shows that the man also misbehaves with female staff and also pushes the attendant who tried to stop him from opening the emergency exit door mid-air. A disaster could have occurred if the man would have opened the door mid-air. Passengers could have sustained injuries and also a plane crash could have occurred resulting in fatalities.
Korean Air released a statement explaining that the passenger had been sitting in a crew jump seat near the emergency exit. When asked to return to his assigned seat, he reportedly refused and began acting aggressively, making threatening gestures and using aggressive language towards the flight attendants. Due to his disruptive behaviour, the crew had to follow strict safety procedures to manage the situation.
The airline's incident report stated, "The cabin crew issued multiple warnings and under the captain's authority, restraint measures were implemented." The disruptive passenger was then moved to a secure area within the plane, where the situation was brought under control.
The plane which was an Airbus A330-300, safely completed its journey, landing at Seoul’s Incheon International Airport. Upon arrival, the passenger was handed over to the airport police for further investigation. Korean Air has not shared details about the passenger’s identity or any possible charges.
The terrifying event emphasises the critical role of cabin crew training in handling disruptive situations and ensuring passenger safety. Korean Air affirmed its commitment to safety, stating, "Korean Air maintains a zero-tolerance approach to behaviours that compromise aviation safety and will continue to respond decisively to such incidents."
