Passengers were left terrified after a man tried to open the emergency door of a plane thousands of feet above the ground.

Flight CM204 of Copa Airlines, Panama’s national airline, was descending towards Panama City when the passenger tried to open the exit.

More than a hundred passengers were on board the flight that departed from the Brazilian capital, Brasilia, on November 5.

According to the airline, the man began to display erratic and violent behavior, which alarmed other passengers on board the Boeing 737.

Video shared online shows the crew and passengers restraining the man.

Copa Airlines said its crew was trained to deal with situations like this and that other passengers had been kept informed about the developments.

The plane landed safely at Panama’s Tocumen International Airport, where the man was arrested by waiting police officers.

Security officers carried out an inspection of the plane and passengers to ensure the situation was completely under control.

It has not been confirmed whether the man was deliberately trying to endanger the plane or whether he was suffering a health crisis.

Copa Airlines has not provided further details about the condition of the detained passenger.

In an unrelated incident, armed police in Argentina last week raided a New York-bound plane after a loud bang was heard, raising concerns that someone had been trapped in the cargo hold.