A passenger on an Air Busan flight from South Korea to China was detained by police after touching an emergency exit door mid-flight on Monday, amid heightened concerns about in-flight safety after recent similar incidents.
The incident occurred on Air Busan flight BX337, which departed from Gimhae International Airport in Busan at 9.48am bound for the northeastern Chinese city of Yanji.
According to airline industry sources, a flight attendant intervened after the male passenger put his hand on the emergency door during the journey, reported English-language newspaper Korea JoongAng Daily.
The emergency door did not open, and the aircraft landed safely at Yanji Airport as scheduled.
Upon arrival, the passenger – whose nationality was not revealed – was handed over to Chinese airport police and the case put under investigation.
“It is currently unclear whether the passenger actually attempted to open the emergency door or merely touched it,” an Air Busan official said. “The flight attendants responded quickly, and the flight proceeded normally.”
