Chaos as passenger opens South Korea aeroplane door mid-flight

A passenger opened an emergency exit door during a domestic flight in South Korea, causing air to gust inside the cabin before the plane landed safely.

The commercial aircraft was minutes from landing on Friday when the passenger sitting next to the emergency door opened a cover and pulled a lever, opening it with the aircraft about 200 metres (656 feet) above the ground.

People on board the Asiana Airlines Airbus A321 aircraft failed to stop the man from opening the door, the transport ministry said.

Video footage apparently taken by a person on board and posted on social media showed passengers’ hair being whipped about by air rushing into the cabin.

The unexpected opening caused some passengers to suffer breathing difficulties, and nine people were taken to hospital after the landing, Asiana said, adding there were no major injuries or damage.

Police arrested the unidentified person who opened the door and his motive was unclear, the airline said.

“I thought the plane was going to explode … It looked like passengers next to the open door were fainting,” an unidentified 44-year-old passenger told Yonhap news agency.

He said the cabin crew made an in-flight announcement asking if there were any doctors on board.