Air passenger held in Turkey after sprinting onto runway
An Algerian passenger desperate to catch his departing flight was held by Turkish police after getting on the runway by breaking through a glass door at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport.
China Dejalel, 29, had a Thursday ticket to the Algerian city Batna from Istanbul on a Turkish Airlines flight.
Dejalel went to Gate 222 to take his flight but when he understood he was late, the irate passenger broke a glass door to the plane’s boarding bridge.
Opening the door from the broken glass, Dejalel went on to the runway to try and board the departing jet.
Trying to follow his plane, which was taxing ahead of takeoff, the passenger was stopped by airport security.
Brought back to the terminal, staff tried to calm down Dejalel who claimed he needed to take the flight because he had urgent work in his country.
He was eventually handed over to Turkish police.