Ukrainian mum escapes out plane window, baffling kids

'That's our mum!': The woman was returning from a family holiday in Turkey when she opened the emergency exit. Photo / Instagram

Cramped plane cabins may leave you with the overwhelming urge to go stretch your legs, but most passengers turn back when they get to the plane galley.

Not on this Ukrainian International Airlines flight.

The plane had just touched down after arriving from Turkey and was waiting at the gate when a passenger emerged from an emergency hatch.

The woman who took a walk on the wing of the plane was after "fresh air", reported TMZ.

UIA said the rest of the passenger's family had already departed the plane – via the more traditional exit – when the incident happened. So, the stunt was more likely a flight of fancy than a bid for freedom.

UIA said the passenger on the wing tested negative for drugs or alcohol. Photo / Instagram

A returning traveller who was on the plane told local media: "The aircraft landed and almost all the passengers got off."

"She walked almost all the way from the tail to the emergency exit row, opened the door and went out," reported The Sun Ireland.

The woman's behaviour and unusual exit was just as much a shock for her children.

"By that time her two children were outside the plane and standing right next to me.

"They were surprised, saying, 'that's our mum!'"

The woman did not test positive for drugs or alcohol and had reportedly been perfectly sober on the flight back from a family holiday in Turkey.

View this post on Instagram

✈️А що, так можна було?😄 ✧ Відмічайте нас на фото та в сторіс, а також використовуйте наш хештег ☛ #boryspilchany 🙌🏼 ⠀ Найкращі фото міста Бориспіль ми опублікуємо ✧

A post shared by ПРО БОРИСПІЛЬ • НОВИНИ • ПОДІЇ (@boryspilchany) on Aug 31, 2020 at 11:23am PDT

UIA confirmed the bizarre incident in a statement, after airport police and border security were summoned to intercept the Boeing 737.

"A passenger of flight PS6212 Antalya-Kyiv illegally opened the emergency exit of the plane after it stopped near gate 11 of terminal D and went on to its wing.

"The passenger was flying on a charter vacation with her husband and children.

"The chief pilot immediately summoned the aviation security, border service, police and medical centre of Boryspil Airport.

"The passenger was blacklisted for gross violation of aviation safety rules and behaviour on board."

The airline says that the woman has been added to the no fly list.