Air India Express passenger tries to open cockpit door mid-air

An Air India Express passenger onboard its flight IX-1086, which took off from Bengaluru and was destined for Varanasi, tried to approach the cockpit door mid-air while looking for the lavatory on Monday (September 22). The incident took place at around 8 am.

The passenger approached the cockpit door and tried to open it, reported NDTV. However, he was unable to open the door as it's secured and can only be opened after one enters the passcode, following which the captain can allow or deny access to the person.

‘Safety not compromised’

Following the incident, the crew ensured that the passenger returned to his seat. After the Air India Express flight landed in Varanasi, the passenger, who was travelling with eight other people, was handed over to the CISF.

Air India Express said in a statement that they were aware of the media reports on the incident, adding that their robust safety protocols were not compromised.

The airline further stated that the matter was reported to the relevant authorities on landing and was currently under investigation.

"We are aware of media reports regarding an incident on one of our flights to Varanasi, where a passenger approached the cockpit entry area while looking for the lavatory,” stated Air India Express.

“We reaffirm that robust safety and security protocols are in place and were not compromised. The matter was reported to the relevant authorities on landing and is currently under investigation," it added.

Also Read: Doha-bound AI Express flight returns to Calicut due to technical fault

Boarding pass fiasco

The incident comes a day after an Air India flight from London to Delhi was delayed after a passenger’s boarding pass got stamped, but the crew found that the passenger had not boarded the aircraft.

According to media reports, the passenger, yet to be identified, never boarded the plane and wandered off to the arrivals area.

Also Read: Hyderabad-Phuket AI Express flight returns due to technical snag

Cooling issue delays AI flight

Earlier this month, over 200 passengers faced significant delays with Air India's flight AI2380, destined for Singapore, after issues with the cabin temperature forced them to deboard the aircraft at New Delhi's airport.

Initially scheduled to depart around 11 PM, the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner remained grounded for nearly two hours due to faults in the air conditioning and electric supply systems. Following this delay, passengers were asked to leave the plane, and while they were taken back to the terminal, no specific reasons were provided by the crew for the deplaning.

Air India later issued a statement confirming the delay was due to a cabin cooling issue and emphasised that passengers were regularly updated during the situation. Eventually, a change of aircraft allowed the flight to take off at 5:36 AM, marking a total delay of nearly six hours.