Passenger tried to open emergency exit at 37,000 ft

A passenger on board a transatlantic flight from Amsterdam spat on a flight attendant, threatened passengers with a cane and tried to open the emergency exit at 37,000 feet.

"He was handcuffed by the captain and guarded by two passengers for the rest of the flight,’’ said KLM spokesman Hugo Baas said. Everyone onboard was given a shock, but no one was injured.

The 28-year-old Dutchman, who Baas described as "clearly unstable", ignored orders from flight crew to turn off his mobile phone, ripped up his passport and said he would hit passengers and flight attendants. He then took a seat in business class, claiming he suffered from claustrophobia.

"So at 37,000 feet he decided it was time to go and tried to open the emergency exit," Baas said. Due to the cabin pressure, it was impossible to open the aircraft’s emergency door.

On arrival at Newark, New Jersey, the man was put on the next flight back to the Netherlands under the supervision of two private security agents. He was arrested at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport and will face charges of attempting to endanger the lives of passengers, the spokesman said.