Asiana Airlines Stops Selling Emergency Exit Seats After Door Opens

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Facts

  • On Sunday, South Korea's Asiana Airlines announced plans to stop selling tickets for emergency exit seats on its Airbus A321-200 aircraft, after a passenger allegedly opened an emergency exit door mid-air.1
  • The incident took place on Friday, as the plane approached the runway at Daegu International Airport about 240 kilometers (150 miles) southeast of Seoul. Though it landed safely and didn't report any severe injuries or damage, several of the 200 people onboard were hospitalized.2
  • Video footage of the incident captured wind whipping through the cabin as passengers clung to their armrests. The 30-year-old who allegedly opened the door reportedly told Daegu police that he was feeling "suffocated" inside the cabin, with authorities adding that he had recently faced stress over his unemployment.3
  • An airline spokesperson said passengers will now be prohibited from sitting in emergency exit seats 31A and 26A on all 14 of its Airbus A321ceo aircraft, adding that "this measure will apply even if the flights are full."4
  • A transport ministry official said the Asian Airlines passenger could open the exit doors as, "it's possible to open emergency exits at or near ground level because the pressures inside and outside the cabin were similar."2
  • The troubled passenger was detained for allegedly breaking aviation security laws and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.3

Sources: 1CNN, 2Al Jazeera, 3Al Arabiya English, and 4AeroTime.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by Korea Herald. This unprecedented incident raises serious questions surrounding flight safety measures. Authorities must investigate how the passenger could open the emergency exit door mid-flight, and the Airlines must ensure emergency exit doors are only capable of opening, whether at low altitudes or not, in life-threatening events.
  • Narrative B, as provided by Forbes. Before passengers around the world begin to fear flying due to rare stories like this, it must be noted that the Airbus A321 plane is part of a list of aircraft with completely clean safety records. Most airlines use almost entirely Airbus and Boeing airplanes, as they have an impeccable track record of keeping their passengers comfortable and safe while traveling.