Passenger detained at Chennai airport after mid-air smoking incident

CHENNAI: A passenger was detained by the police upon arrival at Chennai International Airport today after allegedly smoking mid-flight and arguing with fellow travellers on an IndiGo Airlines service from Kuwait.

The flight carrying 150 people (144 passengers and 6 crew members) was en route to Chennai on Sunday when the incident occurred. Sheikh Mohammed (28), a resident of Adhirampattinam in Thanjavur district working as a driver in Kuwait, frequently left his seat to use the lavatory.

Fellow passengers seated near him detected the smell of smoke and confronted him, warning that smoking onboard was dangerous and prohibited. Mohammed reportedly argued that he was "smoking secretly" in the lavatory and saw nothing wrong with it.

Passengers alerted the cabin crew, who strongly admonished Mohammed, emphasizing that his actions endangered all 150 lives on the aircraft. When he continued to defend his actions, the crew informed the pilot. The pilot subsequently notified Chennai Air Traffic Control about the disruptive passenger smoking onboard and arguing.

IndiGo security personnel were placed on standby. Upon landing in Chennai, security officers boarded the aircraft, escorted Mohammed off, and completed necessary immigration and customs checks.

He was then handed over to the Chennai Airport Police Station. Police have registered a case and are conducting further investigations into the incident, which violated aviation safety laws and caused significant commotion at the airport.