Passenger offloaded for attempting to open emergency exit on Akasa Air flight in Varanasi

A passenger onboard an Akasa Air flight from Varanasi to Mumbai was offloaded on Monday after attempting to open the cover of an emergency exit door while the aircraft was still parked at the bay, the airline said on Tuesday.

An Akasa Air spokesperson said the incident occurred on flight QP 1497, which was scheduled to depart from Varanasi to Mumbai on Monday.

“A passenger on flight QP 1497, scheduled to operate from Varanasi to Mumbai on November 03, 2025, attempted to open an emergency exit door cover without authorisation while the aircraft was still stationary at the parking bay. The individual was identified, and in line with standard operating protocols, was offloaded and handed over to the relevant authorities,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

The airline said that all passengers and crew were safe and that the aircraft underwent a thorough inspection by the engineering team before being cleared for departure.

“The aircraft was thoroughly inspected and cleared by our engineering team before the flight departed at 2100 hrs,” the spokesperson said.