BJP leader Tejashwi Surya opened Indigo's "emergency exit by mistake", opposition criticized

A passenger accidentally opened the emergency exit of an IndiGo flight at the Chennai airport last month, but the airline reportedly took no action after he apologised. It was only after the engineering check that the aircraft took off for its destination Tiruchirappalli. However, due to this the flight was delayed. It is reportedly reported that the passenger was BJP leader Tejashwi Surya. The opposition has strongly criticized the Karnataka MP for this incident. Various opposition leaders questioned why such a serious incident was covered only with an apology. NDTV asked Tejashwi Surya about the reports which have not been confirmed by the BJP MP or his office.

IndiGo said in a statement yesterday that a passenger traveling on flight 6E 7339 from Chennai to Tiruchirappalli on December 10 accidentally opened the emergency exit during the boarding process while the aircraft was on the tarmac. Reports suggest that the passenger "rested his hand on the door," causing the exit to unlock. The airline said, "The passenger immediately apologized for the incident. As per the SOP (standard operating procedure), the incident was registered and the aircraft underwent mandatory engineering checks, which delayed the flight." The flight was reportedly delayed by more than two hours.

A senior official of aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said the incident was duly reported and safety was not compromised. He said the passenger had accidentally opened the "right-hand emergency exit". The DGCA official told PTI-language, "The crew took note of this and as a result all appropriate actions like re-attaching the door, pressure check were taken before the aircraft was released for departure." There was no compromise on security.