51 people were ultimately forced off their flight last Friday afternoon after a passenger on a VietJet leaving Hanoi opened an emergency exit believing it to be a restroom.
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The passenger, 43-year-old Nguyen Thanh Chuong from the ancient village of Duong Lam (and presumably a first time flyer) was traveling on VietJet Air flight VJ175 that was bound for Saigon, reports Tuoi Tre.
Chuong’s mistake led to the activation of the door’s emergency slide, an action that would not only led to a 3-hour delay, but also a decreased capacity.
Aircraft safety regulations stipulate that when missing an evacuation slide (as in this instance), the Airbus A321 can carry a maximum of 151 passengers. Since the plane had 202 passengers onboard at the time of the incident, 51 “displeased” travelers were told they would have to wait for the next flight.
The low-cost carrier said that it compensated each of the booted customers with VND300,000 or a refund.
The Northern Airport Authority told the press that it is deliberating on Chuong’s fine that could reach VND20 million.
A similar incident occurred on a China Southern Airlines flight from Nanjing to Nanning in February. In this case, the passenger didn’t give an explanation for his actions that would land him in jail for 10 days, only saying, “This door is not important.”
[Photo via Bernard Oh]
