Vietnamese flight delayed after man opens emergency exit

The incident happened while passengers were boarding the plane by budget carrier Jetstar Pacific, prompting the airport staff to conduct a technical check. The Vietnamese passenger, whose name was not revealed, is facing a VND15 million ($669).

Passengers' mistake causing flight delays is not rare in Vietnam. In March, a Vietnam Airlines flight from Japan's Narita airport to Da Nang was delayed for almost two and a half hours after a Vietnamese passenger opened the emergency exit door. In February, a man opened an emergency exit door when a plane from Ho Chi Minh City was touching down Con Dao Island, causing the return flight to be delayed for seven hours to repair the damage.

Vietnam's aviation industry has been booming in recent years. The country served more than 94 million air passengers in 2017, up 16 percent from a year ago, including 13 million foreigners.