Videos posted on social media show a man on a flight being restrained after he allegedly tried to open a plane’s emergency exit door.
“Tried spreading 'Peace in Air' by smashing the emergency exit window and trying to open the door mid-flight on the KL–Kochi Batik Air,” Harish wrote. “Jamsheer Athanikkal’s mission: unsuccessful. Crew + passengers stopped him. Plane landed safe. He got arrested. Some peace campaigns just don’t fly.”
The 36-year-old was traveling from Malaysia on Aug. 7 when travelers on the flight recorded the suspicious activity on video while 30,000 feet in the air.
A police officer told Indian Express that the incident took place mid-air between 9:30 p.m. and 11 p.m.
“Jamsheer was a traveller in seat number 12A, [and] without any provocation, he tried to open the emergency exit and destroyed the exit window panel,” the police officer added.
Athanikkal also allegedly tried to break an airplane window and threatened others around him who tried to prevent his activity.
On the window, there were visible scratches with pieces of the plane’s plastic interior appearing to be damaged.
“Later, he was overpowered by the co-passengers and the crew,” police officials said.
Athanikkal is shown in the video with his hands behind his back, and flight crew members said they used zip ties to restrain him.
In addition to visible scratches on the window, pieces of the plane’s plastic interior appeared significantly damaged.
The Deccan Chronicle reported that Athanikkal was charged with criminal intimidation, failure to follow official safety directions, risking public safety, and attempted murder.
Batik Air is a full-service carrier and subsidiary of Lion Air Group, which is Indonesia's low-cost aviation network. Other carriers include Lion Air, Wings Air, and Super Air Jet.
Headquartered in Malaysia and Indonesia, Batik Air connects major Asian hubs, such as Kochi, New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Tiruchirappalli/Trichy, and Amritsar.
IDX tracks global airline disruptions, which identifies alcohol intoxication, non-compliance, and travel stress as primary triggers causing passenger misconduct.
Non-compliant passenger behavior has prompted calls from airline associations for stricter penalties and enhanced pre-boarding screening measures across international hubs.