Two “unruly” passengers caused a seven-hour flight delay after bum-rushing the cockpit.
The disruptive incident occurred Monday on a flight from Delhi to Mumbai, Jam Press reported.
The aircraft had been taxiing on the runway in preparation for departure when the “two attempted to forcefully approach the cockpit and caused a disruption” a SpiceJet spokesperson told the outlet.
A passenger attempts to storm the cockpit as onlookers look on in shock. Jam Press/TIM
“The two attempted to forcefully approach the cockpit and caused a disruption while the aircraft was taxiing,” a SpiceJet spokesperson said. Jam Press/TIMBoth cabin crew and flyers pleaded with the men to return to their seats.
That’s when the crew made the decision to return to the terminal and “offload” the two in the interest of passenger and crew safety, the airline rep said.
The SpiceJet flight, which was slated to take off at 12:30 p.m., was delayed until 7:21 p.m. due to the disruption.
No injuries were reported, although the incident has raised concerns over airline security and passenger behavior.
Indeed, this isn’t the first time a flyer has attempted to storm the flight deck of late.
In April, American Airlines flight attendants were forced to physically restrain a female passenger after she tried to barge into the cockpit during a New York-bound flight.
Meanwhile, there have been myriad instances of passengers attempting to open emergency doors in flight.
In March, an Ultra Airlines flight attendant broke his leg while restraining a passenger who tried to open the emergency exit on an international flight.
