Lankan cricketer in mid flight drama

A Sri Lankan cricketer, who has not been named, while searching for the lavatory on a trans-Atlantic flight allegedly caused panic among passengers yesterday when he tried to open the cabin door at 35,000 ft,.



The Sri Lankan was said to have pushed and pulled for up to two minutes at the exterior door on the packed British Airways flight from St Lucia to Gatwick after playing against the West Indies.

She heard him tell cabin crew aboard the Boeing 777 carrying 229 passengers that he had been looking for the toilet – an account confirmed by BA.

A spokesman for the airline said: “During the flight a man got up and tried to go to the toilet. But instead of going to the toilet he tried to open the aircraft door in mid-flight. The event was linked to an element of alcohol. He explained his mistake and cabin crew accepted it in good faith.”

BA stressed that it is impossible to open the pressurised door in mid-flight. At Gatwick, the players boarded a flight for Sri Lanka. Officials confirmed that the man was a Sri Lankan cricketer but declined to name him.