A recent AirAsia X flight heading to Sydney from Kuala Lumpur was disrupted after a passenger reportedly tried to open an emergency exit door—not once, but twice—during the journey. The shocking incident occurred on April 5 aboard flight D7220 and led to the arrest of a man identified as Shadi Taiseer Alsaaydeh, a Jordanian national.
According to the Australian Federal Police (AFP), the man first attempted to open the rear emergency door mid-flight. Quick action from the flight crew and passengers prevented a disaster, but not before he allegedly assaulted a crew member. To prevent further trouble, the cabin crew relocated him to a seat in the middle of the plane. However, the drama didn’t end there—he allegedly tried again to open a different emergency door.
Alsaaydeh has now been charged with two counts of endangering aircraft safety and one count of assaulting cabin crew. AFP officials emphasized the seriousness of the situation, stating that such behavior poses serious threats to passengers and crew and will not be tolerated.
AirAsia responded with a public statement, assuring that the safety of everyone on board was never at risk. The airline praised its trained crew for taking swift and appropriate action, adding that they have a strict zero-tolerance policy for any disruptive behavior. The AFP and other authorities were ready to meet the plane upon its arrival in Sydney.
In court, Alsaaydeh’s lawyer claimed that his client, an employee in Jordan’s nuclear waste management sector, had no criminal record and no memory of the incident. The defense said Alsaaydeh had consumed alcohol and taken pseudoephedrine along with a sleeping pill before boarding the flight.
The case has now been handed over to the relevant authorities for further investigation.
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