A Buddha Air flight scheduled to depart from Bhairahawa for Kathmandu was delayed on Wednesday after a passenger opened an aircraft emergency exit without authorisation.

Flight 852 was preparing for departure when the incident occurred. Buddha Air information officer Dipendra Karna said passenger Suman Gautam opened the emergency door, disrupting the flight.

Airport security personnel immediately took the passenger under control.

According to the airline, aviation safety protocols require a detailed technical inspection whenever an emergency exit is opened. A technical team has already left Kathmandu for Bhairahawa to carry out the checks.

The aircraft will depart for Kathmandu only after all inspections are completed and safety is fully ensured, the airline said.

Similar incidents have occurred in the past. About a year ago, a passenger opened an emergency door during pre-departure preparations on Buddha Air flight 618 from Pokhara to Kathmandu, delaying the flight by nearly three hours after technical inspections.

In another case, on October 10, a plane to Janakpur that took off from Kathmandu was diverted to Biratnagar due to poor weather. While taxiing for departure to Janakpur after conditions improved, a passenger opened the emergency door, forcing the crew to return the aircraft to the parking bay. After inspections by a technical team from Kathmandu, the aircraft reached Janakpur after hours of delay.

In both cases, the passengers involved were made to pay Rs100,000 each as compensation after committing not to repeat such actions. Buddha Air said the collected amounts were donated to charitable institutions.

Under the Civil Aviation Act 2015, anyone who disrupts a flight may face one to three years in prison, or life imprisonment in severe cases. Buddha Air said it initiates legal action against such passengers and may also impose future flight bans.