Passengers offer support to man who opened emergency exit and walked onto plane’s wing in Mexico
At first it sounds like a typical case of bad behavior aboard airplanes
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.At first it sounds like a typical case of bad behavior aboard airplanes.
The Mexico City International Airport acknowledged in a statement Friday that a man had opened an emergency exit and walked out on a wing of a plane that was parked and waiting for takeoff Thursday.
The airport said the man had been turned over to police.
But dozens of fellow passengers signed a written copy of a statement saying the airline made them wait for four hours without ventilation or water while the flight was delayed. According to photos of the statement posted online, fellow passengers said he acted “to protect everyone, with the support of everyone.”
The airport said in a statement that "yesterday a passenger on a flight to Guatemala opened an emergency door on a plane while it was stationary at a remote position, stood on a wing and then re-entered the cabin, without affecting the aircraft or anyone else.”
“In line with international security regulations, this person turned himself over to the authorities,” it said.
At least 77 passengers aboard the AeroMexico flight to Guatemala signed a statement handwritten on notebook paper, photos of which were posted on social media, supporting the man's actions.
“The delay and lack of air created conditions that endangered the health of the passengers. He saved our lives,” according to the statement.
An incident report filed with airport authorities largely confirmed that version.
“Around 11:37 a.m., a Mexican airline reported the beginning of a disturbance due to passenger discontent on flight AM672,” according to the report. “The flight had been due to lift off at 8:45 a.m. Thursday, but because of a maintenance alert on the plane, the captain had to return to the gate for the required maintenance.”
“The passengers were unhappy and one of them opened the emergency door and stepped out on the wing,” the report said. “This event required the plane to be changed.”
Airport authorities did not identify the man, and they declined to comment on whether he remains in custody or faces charges.
Flight tracking sites confirmed that flight AM672 to Guatemala City was delayed for 4 hours and 56 minutes on Thursday.
A video recorded aboard the flight showed passengers fanning themselves and asking a flight attendant for water.
AeroMexico did not immediately respond to an email request for comment.
Additional reporting by Associated Press.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments