Arrest warrant issued for man who opened Asiana plane door mid-air, airline bans some emergency seats

SEOUL: A South Korean court issued an arrest warrant on Sunday (May 28) for a passenger who opened an Asiana Airlines plane door minutes before it landed in the city of Daegu, Yonhap News Agency reported.

The man, in his thirties, was detained after the plane landed on Friday. He opened the door when the A321-200 plane was about 213m above the ground, causing panic onboard.

The Daegu District Court issued the warrant for him on charges of violating the Aviation Security Act, saying there was a risk he may try to flee before trial. The warrant allows the police to keep him in custody longer.

He was not charged at the hearing.

Officials gave the man’s surname as Lee but not his full name, as is usual custom in South Korea.

Lee said he opened the door because he wanted to get off the plane quickly.

“I feel really sorry for the kids,” he told reporters as he was escorted to the court for a hearing on Sunday, apparently referring to students who were on board and taken to hospital with breathing issues.

They were all discharged after about two hours, a fire department official said. 

The man was earlier detained by authorities in Daegu for allegedly breaking aviation security laws. He faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

Asiana Airlines has also stopped selling some emergency seats following the emergency exit incident, the carrier said Sunday.

The A321-200 plane, which was carrying nearly 200 passengers, landed safely at Daegu International Airport, about 240km southeast of Seoul, but several people were hospitalised. There were no serious injuries or damage.

Starting Sunday, the 31A and 26A emergency seats on its 14 A321-200 jets would no longer be offered for sale, the carrier told AFP.