SANYA - A Chinese passenger on a China Eastern flight caused a two-hour delay when he tried to use the emergency slide for a quicker exit.
The male passenger had taken flight MU2331 from Xi'an to Sanya Fenghaung International Airport in Hainan on Dec 12. While the crew were busy with landing procedures, passengers said they heard the sound of something inflating, Sohu.com reported.
The passenger, eager to disembark, had opened the emergency exit, and in the process, deployed the slide. When questioned by authorities about why he opened the door, he responded: "To get off the plane faster", Nanfang Insider said.
He told the authorities he had no idea the door was for emergencies as he did not pay attention to the safety briefing. A flight attendant attempted to stop him, Sohu said, but the slide had already begun inflating.
The return flight, MU2332, scheduled at 9.50pm, was delayed till 11.41 pm so the slide could be replaced. The cost of replacing it was about 100,000 yuan (S$21,000), Sohu said quoting aviation experts.
In another similar incident in Hangzhou, a Chinese man opened the emergency exit just before the plane took off to "get some air".
The first-time flier poked his head out as a flight attendant looked on, the Southern Metropolis Daily, and South China Morning Post reported, citing social media posts from fellow passengers.
Fortunately for the passengers on board this Xiamen Air flight to Chengdu, there were no delays.
The incidents come right after a Chinese woman made the news by splashing hot water on an AirAsia stewardess because she was unhappy about not being given a seat beside her boyfriend.