By Fay Simmons

Tribune Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

A Bahamian airline yesterday accused a passenger of opening an emergency exit door while the aircraft was taxiing on the runway after landing.

A widely-circulated video on social media yesterday depicted what appeared to be a Flamingo Air aircraft moving without a door while passengers sat in the plane.

The airline has released a statement explaining that, as a scheduled flight from Bimini to Freeport landed and was taxiing on the Grand Bahama International Airport runway. a passenger opened the emergency exit. Flamingo Air maintained that no incidents occurred while the aircraft was airborne and “swift action” was taken by the crew to ensure all passengers were unharmed.

“We wish to advise the general public that during our regular morning flight out of Bimini into Freeport today, July 1, 2024, upon landing and taxiing on the Grand Bahama International Airport runway, a passenger opened the emergency door,” said Flamingo Air.

“Swift action was taken by our crew to ensure the safety of all onboard the aircraft. At no time was there an incident while the aircraft was airborne as being reported by a mainstream news outlet and a video making the rounds on social media.”

Last year, the airline was grounded after a video of an aircraft’s open door while hovering over Bahamian waters went viral on social media. The incident resulted in the Civil Aviation Authority suspending operations and launching investigations.

An employee had failed to latch the aircraft’s door. Following the incident, the airline described the incident as a “minor issue”.

“Flamingo Air takes full responsibility for the human error that resulted in the disruption of our services temporarily and apologises profusely for the incident that caused such concern among our valued customers,” the company’s statement said.

“We are committed to ensuring your safety and will ensure that the strict checks and safety protocols that are part of operations are followed.” Flamingo Air said it has taken and will continue to take steps to prevent any future recurrence of such an incident. “We take this opportunity to thank our valued customers for their ongoing demonstrated trust and confidence,” the company said.