'I want to go now': Passenger reportedly forces plane to return to gate over forgotten bag
A passenger on budget airline Thai Smile Airways was caught on video forcing the plane to return to the airport gate minutes from takeoff because he had forgotten a bag at the terminal.
In the footage, the passenger is seen arguing with a flight attendant in the aisle. The Bangkok-bound Airbus A320 was taxiing for takeoff from Chiang Mai International Airport.
Thai Smile Airways did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment.
According to the New Zealand-based publication Stuff, the flight crew told the man they could remove him from the plane now or he could wait until they landed at Bangkok. “Do you want to go? Or do you want to wait until Bangkok?” a flight attendant said in the video.
The man insisted he wanted to get off the plane, saying, “Yes, yes, I want to go now. Ask the captain.”
“For everyone’s safety, we have to return to our gate to disembark… (a passenger). This could take us around five to ten minutes,” the pilot said over the intercom in the video.
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Airport security can be seen escorting the man and his two friends off the plane.
The passenger allegedly had money and other valuables in the bag he left behind.
The flight landed safely at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bankok after a short delay.
Kathleen Wong is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Hawaii. You can reach her at kwong@usatoday.com
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Passenger forces plane to return to gate seconds before takeoff
