A Congress of the People MP reportedly tried to open the door of an SAA plane while drunk on a flight to India, according to a report on Monday.

Dirk Feldman, part of a Parliamentary delegation, apparently decided he needed to get off the plane and began fiddling with the emergency doors, Beeld reports.

Cope chief whip Dennis Bloem told the newspaper on Sunday: "He had too much to drink and they say he lost his inhibitions.

"They detained him for a few hours at the airport and then released him, after which he would apparently be sent home today [Sunday]."

SAA's head of internal flight services, Martin Kemp, said such incidents occurred infrequently.

Parliament said in a statement on Sunday it was decided that Feldman be sent home after the delegation arrived in Mumbai.

A decision on further action would be taken once Parliament had received reports from witnesses and SAA.