A Ukrainian airline banned a passenger for life after she opened a jet's emergency exit door and walked around on the wing
- A passenger flying Ukraine International Airlines opened an overwing emergency exit door on Monday to cool down after reportedly being "too hot," CNN reported.
- The Boeing 737-800 had just arrived at the gate in Kyiv from Antalya, Turkey when the female passenger opened the door and ventured out onto the wing.
- Ukraine International Airlines has since banned her from future flights.
A routine Ukraine International Airlines flight from Antalya, Turkey to Kyiv ended with a passenger opening an emergency exit door and venturing out on the aircraft's wing — just for a bit of fresh air, apparently.
The Boeing 737-800 aircraft had just parked at the Ukrainian capital's Boryspil International Airport when the woman was heard complaining about being "too hot," CNN reported, and used the overwing emergency exit as her own personal escape hatch. Video shows the passenger sitting calmly near the rear edge of the wing before cabin crew arrived to call her back onto the plane, with the incident lasting only a few minutes.
The aircraft's canopy-style exit allowed the passenger to merely pull down on a lever and open the door. Overwing exits on the Boeing 737-800 do not come equipped with slides, unlike the forward and rear boarding doors. In an actual emergency, passengers are expected either to walk off of the aircraft via the rear flaps, or, in the event of a water landing, to wait on the wings.
Ukraine International Airlines and Boryspil International Airport did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment, but told CNN that airport doctors and police examined the passenger and didn't find her to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The passenger was traveling on the two-hour flight from the Turkish leisure destination with her family.
Ukraine International Airlines has since banned the wing-walker from future flights, the airline told CNN. She may also be subject to a fine.