Overview

• Piyush Soni, 25, accessed the restricted apron at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on June 19 by opening an emergency gate after missing his Air India flight to Patna.
• He sprinted toward an aircraft that had arrived from Bhuj, not realizing his intended plane had already departed, before CISF officers intervened.
• Soni initially blamed a coach driver for dropping him near the runway, but security personnel later confirmed the claim was fabricated.
• Sahar police arrested him and booked him under the Aircraft Act and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for imperiling flight safety and endangering lives.
• The incident has prompted calls for tighter apron security and improved passenger guidance at major airports.