A flight scheduled to depart from Jeju International Airport was delayed after a passenger opened the emergency exit door just before takeoff.
At around 8:15 AM today (April 15), a female passenger opened the emergency exit while Air Seoul Flight RS902, bound for Gimpo, was taxiing onto the runway for takeoff.
As a result, the emergency evacuation slide was deployed, rendering the aircraft unable to operate. The plane had to be towed back to the parking area. The flight was scheduled to depart at 8:10 AM with 202 passengers on board, heading to Gimpo Airport.
All passengers have since disembarked and are currently waiting at Jeju Airport until safety inspections are completed.
Meanwhile, the woman who forcibly opened the emergency exit was immediately arrested at the scene. She told police that she suffers from claustrophobia and opened the door because she felt suffocated.
Police have confirmed that the passenger has indeed received medical treatment for this condition in the past.
Following a joint investigation by airport security and authorities, it was concluded that there were no signs of terrorism. The case has been handed over to the police on suspicion of violating the Aviation Security Act.
The 200 or so passengers originally on the flight are expected to depart Jeju on the same aircraft at 2 PM today, more than six hours later than the scheduled departure time.
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