In yet another inflight incident, a passenger on board a Tiruchirapalli-bound IndiGo flight opened the emergency door, triggering panic among the co-passengers.
The incident took place on Flight 6E 7339 from Chennai to Tiruchirapalli on December 10, 2022. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), however, said that the event was duly reported and that no safety was compromised. A senior DGCA official stated that the matter is being investigated.
The DGCA statement comes after allegations surfaced that it was Tejaswi Surya, first-time MP from Bengaluru South constituency and the National president of the BJP Yuva Morcha, the youth wing of the BJP, who unlocked the emergency exit door. The statement issued by the DGCA and IndiGO did not reveal the identity and details of the passenger.
The issue came to light when Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister V Senthil Balaji tweeted on December 29 2022 about the opening of an emergency exit door on a Chennai-Trichy flight, with heavy hints incriminating Tejasvi Surya and BJP Tamil Nadu chief Annamalai.
“The BJP VIP Brats ! How dare the airline complain? Is it the norm for the BJP power elite? Did it compromise passenger safety? Ohhh! U can’t ask questions about BJP’s entitled VIP’s !,” Congress Randeep Singh Surjewala tweeted on Tuesday.
The ATR 72-600 aircraft flying from Chennai to Trichy was scheduled to take off at 10.05 am on December 10, 2022 but was delayed by 142 minutes after a passenger “accidentally” pulled down the lever and unlocked the emergency exit.
The DGCA official said it appears that by mistake, the Right Hand emergency exit got opened by a passenger while the aircraft was on ground. “The crew took note and resultantly, all appropriate airworthiness action such as reinstalling of door, pressurization check etc were carried out before the release of the aircraft for departure. No safety was compromised,” the official added.
In a statement on Tuesday, IndiGo said a passenger travelling on flight 6E 7339 from Chennai to Tiruchirapalli on Dec 10, 2022, accidentally opened the emergency exit during the boarding process.