Air India Express passenger 'looking for loo' tries entering cockpit
What's the story
An Air India Express flight from Bengaluru to Varanasi witnessed a bizarre incident on Monday, when a passenger on board the flight reportedly tried to enter the cockpit while looking for a toilet. The incident occurred on Flight IX-1086, which took off from Bengaluru at 8:00am and landed in Varanasi around 10:30am. The crew stopped him during the flight, and he was questioned by officials after landing.
Official statement
Air India Express responds to incident
An Air India spokesperson confirmed the incident, saying, "We are aware of media reports regarding an incident on one of our flights to Varanasi, where a passenger approached the cockpit entry area while looking for the lavatory." The spokesperson added that "robust safety and security protocols are in place and were not compromised."
Investigation outcome
Passenger was a 1st-time flyer, posed no threat
According to reports, the passenger was traveling with eight others. All were handed over to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) at Varanasi airport for questioning. The airline later clarified that this man was a first-time flyer and posed no security threat to the aircraft. He also didn't try entering any password, as cockpit doors are secured with passwords known only to the captain and crew members.