United Flight Diverts to Las Vegas After Passenger Threat
A 25-year-old man was arrested Saturday after a terror report forced a jet to return to the gate within an hour.
By Yuki Melnyk ·
Las Vegas police arrested a 25-year-old man Saturday after a United Airlines flight returned to the airport less than an hour after takeoff. The jet, bound for Newark, New Jersey, landed safely with 150 passengers on board following a report that a passenger made a terroristic threat. United Airlines described the situation as a potential security concern that required the aircraft to turn back.
Flightradar24 data shows the flight departed for Newark on Saturday night and returned to Las Vegas in under 60 minutes. The Federal Aviation Administration stated the crew reported a passenger disturbance during the sequence of events. Police charged the man with making a threat or providing false information regarding an act of terrorism, though they did not immediately disclose specific details about his actions or words.
The incident occurred on a scheduled overnight flight. United delayed the plane overnight and it departed for Newark on Sunday morning. An attorney representing the passenger did not immediately return a request for comment. The man is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.
The FAA confirmed it will investigate the event. In an email to The Associated Press, the agency noted that it has recorded more than 1,400 unruly passenger incidents in 2026 so far.
Source: ABC News
