A 25-year-old man named Piyush Soni from Kalamboli, Navi Mumbai, found himself in legal trouble after a bizarre incident at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) in Mumbai. On Thursday morning, Soni was arrested for trespassing onto the apron, a restricted area where aircraft are parked, after missing his Air India flight to Patna.
According to reports, Soni arrived at the airport around 9:50 AM, which was past the boarding deadline for his flight. Unaware that his flight had already departed, he desperately sought a way to board. In his haste, Soni opened an emergency exit door between gates 42 and 43 from inside the terminal, gaining unauthorized access to the apron.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing Soni running towards a parked aircraft, seemingly determined to board it, without even confirming if it was the correct flight to Patna. It later turned out that the aircraft he was running towards had just arrived from Bhuj, Gujarat, and was not headed to his destination. Airport security personnel quickly spotted Soni's unauthorized presence in the high-security zone and apprehended him.
An Air India staff member filed a formal complaint, highlighting the potential danger Soni's actions posed. The complaint stated that his actions could have caused a major accident, especially if aircraft were taxiing, taking off, or landing. "He risked flight movement and potentially endangered lives," the complaint read.
Soni was taken into custody by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and handed over to the Sahar police. He has been booked under Section 29 of the Aircraft Rules, 1937, and Section 125 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, for endangering the safety of an aircraft and putting the lives of others at risk due to rash or negligent behavior. While he has been released with a notice to appear in court, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the serious consequences of breaching airport security.
Initially, Soni claimed that the coach transporting passengers to the aircraft had mistakenly dropped him near the runway. However, security officials dismissed this explanation as false after investigation. Police reports indicate that Soni knowingly opened the emergency gate to access the apron.
This incident is not the first time someone has attempted to breach security at Mumbai airport. In February 2024, a 22-year-old man entered the airport without any travel documents and attempted to board an IndiGo flight. He was also apprehended and booked for trespassing. These incidents highlight the ongoing challenges faced by airport security personnel in preventing unauthorized access to restricted areas.
