A passenger opened an emergency exit and jumped off an Air Arabia aircraft shortly after landing in Chennai early Sunday morning. The incident triggered a temporary shutdown of the main runway, resulting in multiple flight delays and a diversion, according to airport officials familiar with the matter.

Incident on the Taxiway

Flight G9-471 from Sharjah, operated by an Airbus A320, landed at approximately 3:23 am. Officials stated that just one minute after touchdown, while the aircraft was on the taxiway, the passenger deployed the exit, forcing the aircraft to an immediate halt. As a "safety precaution," authorities closed the main runway (07/25) at 3:25 am.

Passenger Identity and Detention

The passenger was identified as 29-year-old Mohamed Sherif Mohamed Najmudeen.

"The passenger jumped off the aircraft's emergency exit on Taxiway V around 3:25 am," an official confirmed.

Airline staff immediately alerted security personnel, who took Najmudeen into custody before handing him over to the local police. While the passenger—hailing from Pudukkottai—claimed he acted out of "mental instability," security agencies are currently investigating the true motive behind the breach.

Impact on Airport Operations

Chennai Airport, a major Southern Indian aviation hub handling approximately 20 million passengers annually, was forced to adjust its operations across its intersecting runways.

• Diversions: British Airways flight BA0035 from London was diverted to Bengaluru.
• Delays: At least five flights, including services to Doha, Ahmedabad, and Dubai, faced delays of 35 to 40 minutes.
• Secondary Runway Usage: During the closure, departures such as 6E-1061 to Bangkok and EY-0341 to Abu Dhabi were rerouted to the secondary runway (12/30).

Recovery and Return Flight

The aircraft was eventually towed to a parking bay at 4:25 am, and main runway operations resumed at 4:35 am. Despite the quick recovery of the runway, the incident caused a significant ripple effect for the airline. The return leg to Sharjah, flight G9-472, was delayed for over three hours, finally departing at 7:41 am with 109 passengers on board.