From missed gate to tarmac sprint: Navi Mumbai flier runs after Air India plane, gets booked for security breach

A brief moment of chaos unfolded at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on Thursday morning when a 25-year-old man made a desperate attempt to board a flight he had already missed. The man, identified as Piyush Soni from Kalamboli in Navi Mumbai, reached the airport shortly after 9:50 am—well after the boarding gates for his flight had closed.

Instead of accepting his missed flight, Soni attempted to bypass airport security and ran toward the aircraft bay in a frantic bid to catch the plane. However, he mistakenly headed toward a different Air India flight that had just arrived from Bhuj. Airport security quickly apprehended him and notified the police.

Initially, Soni claimed a shuttle driver had mistakenly dropped him near the runway. However, CCTV footage and staff testimony disproved this, revealing that he had opened an emergency access point between gates 42 and 43 to enter the restricted area.

Security officials responded swiftly as Soni was seen running dangerously close to zones designated for aircraft movement. Air India later filed a formal complaint, noting that his actions posed a major safety threat and could have resulted in a serious incident.

Soni was handed over to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and booked under charges of endangering lives and breaching airport security, including violations under the Aircraft Act. During questioning, he admitted he was late for his flight and had tried to reach any departing aircraft in hopes of boarding.