A passenger bolted from an airliner after opening a rear exit and sliding down an emergency chute as it prepared for take off, police in Cyprus said.
Police spokesman Michalis Katsounotos said the 28-year-old sailor, who holds a Greek passport, then jumped the Larnaca airport fence and disappeared. He now faces charges of breaking civil aviation safety regulations and entering a prohibited airport space without permission.
Investigators don’t know what spurred the man to exit the Cyprus Airways jet on Saturday night moments after the captain ordered the crew to lock the aircraft doors. The Airbus with 158 passengers aboard was on a scheduled flight to Athens.
