Passenger Opens Emergency Exit on Intl Flight, Chaos Ensues

Source: OT-Team(G), 新京报

On September 21, a passenger incident occurred aboard Hong Kong Airlines flight HX612 from Hong Kong to Osaka.

After the aircraft landed at Kansai International Airport, a passenger opened the emergency exit door on the right side of the plane, triggering the deployment of the emergency slide.

On September 22, a Hong Kong Airlines spokesperson confirmed to reporters that during passenger disembarkation, one of the right-side emergency doors was opened and its slide automatically deployed. Preliminary findings suggest the door handle may have been accidentally touched. No injuries were reported.

A passenger who was on the flight told reporters: "The plane hadn't come to a complete stop yet when I suddenly felt a draft of cool air from the rear. At first, we only heard a hissing sound, and many passengers thought we were allowed to disembark. Some people stood up, then we realized someone had opened the emergency exit."

Another passenger, who shared her experience online under the username "Milly's Star Diary," recalled: "About 10 minutes later, the captain made an announcement. We could hear him sigh quietly before saying there had been an unexpected situation and asking everyone to return to their seats. We noticed crew members cordoning off the emergency exit area. Thankfully, we were able to disembark about 20 minutes later without major delays."

Flight records show HX612 departed Hong Kong at 2:52 p.m. on September 21 and arrived in Osaka at 7:15 p.m. local time. Its return leg, flight HX613 from Osaka to Hong Kong, was originally scheduled to depart at 8:15 p.m. but was delayed until 1:39 a.m. on September 22, landing in Hong Kong at 3:50 a.m.

Hong Kong Airlines later confirmed that due to the deployed slide, the return flight had to operate under safety restrictions, leaving the affected emergency exit unusable. As a result, around 70 passengers were rebooked to flights the following day.

The airline issued an apology for the inconvenience and said it arranged hotel accommodations and necessary support for affected passengers. It stressed that safety remains its top priority, adding that it had promptly notified relevant authorities and would fully cooperate with the ongoing investigation.