Asiana Airlines in South Korea has stopped selling some emergency exit seats following an incident in which a passenger opened an aircraft door mid-flight, the carrier announced on Sunday.
A court in Daegu later issued an arrest warrant for the man, surnamed Lee, for allegedly violating aviation security laws. The incident occurred as an A321-200 plane carrying nearly 200 passengers approached the runway at Daegu International Airport, about 240 kilometers (150 miles) southeast of Seoul.
The plane landed safely, but several people were taken to the hospital. There were no major injuries or property damage. The 31A and 26A emergency exit seats on its 14 A321-200 jets, 11 of which have 26A and the other three have 31A, will no longer be available for purchase beginning Sunday, according to AFP.
“This measure will apply as a safety precaution even if the flights are full,” it added. According to Yonhap, a court issued an arrest warrant for Lee, citing “the seriousness of his case and the risk of flight.”
He was detained by Daegu authorities and faces up to ten years in prison if convicted. Lee previously told Daegu police that he wanted to get off the plane because he felt “suffocated” inside the cabin.
“I wanted to get out as soon as possible,” Lee told reporters on Sunday, before the warrant was issued.