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Russian Passenger Derails Flight By Opening Emergency Exit Before Takeoff

The airline said it plans to sue the passenger for damages to the emergency gangway as well as the cost of changing to a new aircraft and the cost of the delayed flight.  Screenshot Telegram

We’ve all been there: Helplessly stuck on a stuffy airplane as it waits for takeoff with no respite from the heat.

One Moscow passenger decided to take matters into his own hands by opening the plane’s door just before takeoff.  

According to the Mash Telegram channel, passengers onboard the Rossiya Airlines flight from Moscow to Antalya were stuck in the plane’s cabin, where the air conditioning had malfunctioned, while their flight was delayed for two hours late Saturday night. Some passengers reportedly fainted in the heat.

The unnamed passenger lost his patience and opened the aircraft’s left emergency exit, releasing the inflatable escape platform, the independent Dozhd broadcaster reported Monday. 

The passengers were then forced to deplane and board a new plane, delaying the flight by over four hours.

Annoyed passengers posted TikToks and tweeted photos to complain about their flight being delayed because the man decided to take matters into his own hands. 

One passenger posted a video on Instagram captioning that the flight was delayed for two hours and it was hot in the cabin.

In another video filmed right before the ill-fated door opening, a woman can be heard complaining to the crew that she can’t breathe, asking them to address the situation immediately. 

The airline’s press service told the RBC news website that it plans to sue the passenger for damages to the emergency gangway as well as the cost of changing to a new aircraft and the cost of the delayed flight. 

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