India, May 3 -- A passenger opening an emergency exit and jumping off an Air Arabia aircraft after landing in Chennai triggered a temporary shutdown of the airport's main runway early Sunday, delaying multiple flights and forcing a diversion, airport officials familiar with the matter said.

Flight G9 471 from Sharjah, operated by an Airbus A320, landed around 3.23 am on Sunday. Officials said the incident occurred on a taxiway one minute after touchdown, bringing the aircraft to a halt.

Officials said that airport authorities had to close the main runway (07/25) at 3.25 am as a "safety precaution."

Chennai airport is one of the key aviation hubs in Southern India. It operates with intersecting runways: the primary runway 07/25 and the ...