The IndiGo aircraft 7339 (ATR) was about to take off from Chennai to head towards Tiruchirapalli when the air hostess who was giving safety instructions to the passengers was interrupted suddenly. Two passengers, Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya and Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai who were onboard, told her that the emergency door had been inadvertently opened.

In an ATR, which is a small flight, the emergency door is at the front. While most seats have handles, the seats near the emergency exit do not have an armrest. Surya was lightly resting his hand on the door and after a while indicated to the air hostess that the door may have opened slightly, News18 has learnt.

“She then began to take the safety precautions that are required since the lever had been pushed down unknowingly,” said a Tamil Nadu BJP leader who is in the know of the incident.