An AirAsia flight from Vietnam to Thailand was forced to make an emergency landing after a foreign passenger allegedly caused panic on board by behaving aggressively and threatening to open the plane’s door mid-air.
The incident occurred on AirAsia flight AK647 from Nha Trang to Bangkok on Thursday, January 29. The plane had already departed nearly an hour and 40 minutes late when the situation escalated shortly after takeoff.
Disruptive passenger behavior raises the alarm
According to eyewitness accounts and videos circulating on social media, the man – said to be speaking Russian – stripped off most of his clothes and moved around the cabin, climbing over seats and repeatedly clashing with cabin crew.
Passengers said he yelled at flight attendants, demanded the plane’s doors be opened and ignored repeated attempts by the crew to restrain and calm him down. He was heard shouting in both English and Russian at various points and disturbing fellow passengers.
Watch the viral video here.
Videos shared online also show the man claiming he wanted to jump off the plane, causing visible panic among passengers.
Emergency landing ordered
As the situation became increasingly unstable, the pilot requested permission to make an emergency landing at Don Mueang International Airport. Despite the efforts of the crew and passengers to de-escalate the situation, the man continued to scream and demand to get off the plane.
After the plane landed and stopped, he allegedly forced his way out before the airport stairs were in place and jumped onto the tarmac. He was reportedly injured in the process but tried to flee.
Arrest on the track
Thai authorities quickly apprehended the man on the runway and took him into custody. Local media reports suggest he may face legal action under Thai law, including fines or possible imprisonment. Some reports claimed that the passenger was drunk, although this has not been officially confirmed.
The airline has not yet issued a detailed statement on the incident.
(This report is based on user-generated content from social media. Livemint has not independently verified and does not endorse these claims.)
