Ireland Man Attacks Stewardess and Attempts to Open the Aircraft Door; Makes an Emergency Landing in Mumbai

A man from Kerala assaulted cabin crew and tried to open the aircraft door mid-flight on an Air India Express flight from Kozhikode to Bahrain, prompting an emergency landing in Mumbai. He was arrested upon arrival.

A Kozhikode to Bahrain flight had to be landed in Mumbai on Saturday when a 25-year-old man attacked the flight staff and tried to open the aircraft door in mid-air, officials said.

Alleged by the local media as Abdul Musavir Nadukandee from Kerala, the accused woke up after the Air India Express flight left the Kozhikode airport. He then proceeded to go to the rear of the aircraft before reportedly assaulting the flight attendants and trying to open the door of the plane.

When the crew members succeeded in subduing Nadukandee and returning him to his seat, he verbally insulted the other passengers and attempted to threaten the crew members into opening the emergency door, the police said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to The Times of India during the CSMIA interaction.

As the pilot was concerned about a severe security threat on board, he decided to redirect the aircraft and land it at CSMIA, however, Nadukandee was arrested as soon as the plane landed.

He has been arrested under sections 109, 269, 506, 323 of the Indian Penal Code and sections 2, 3, and 4 of the Aircraft Act.

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A probe is being conducted to establish the reason for Nadukandee’s actions and the precise sequence of events in attempting to enhance the security of airline passengers and crews. The flight was however able to proceed with the flight to Bahrain once the situation had been controlled.