Asiana Airlines stops selling emergency exit seats

South Korea’s Asiana Airlines said it will stop selling tickets for some emergency exit seats after a frightening mid-air incident last week.

A passenger managed to open the emergency exit door while still several hundred feet in the air during the plane’s descent.

Asiana will halt sales of tickets for some emergency exit seats on Airbus A321-200 aircraft.

These seats are near the centre of the plane with extra legroom to allow an orderly evacuation when needed.

“This measure is a safety precaution and applies even if the flight is full,” the airline said.

It applies to emergency exit seats on one side of the plane as flight attendants are seated on the other side during landing.

The passenger was able to open the emergency door before it was about to land at Daegu Airport.

The man has been arrested but not charged yet.

The man says he opened the door due to ‘claustrophobia.’

Video showed strong air currents inside the plane cabin.

A dozen passengers were treated for hyperventilation, with nine taken to hospital.

The flight had departed from Jeju island and was carrying 200 passengers and crew.

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