United Airlines Flight Diverted Due to Bluetooth Device Incident

Flight Turned Back Over Atlantic

A United Airlines flight traveling across the Atlantic was compelled to return to Newark on Saturday night after a Bluetooth device onboard triggered a security alert. This incident left nearly 200 passengers waiting at Newark for several hours before they could resume their journey.

The Boeing 767, which had 190 passengers and 12 crew members, took off from Newark Liberty International Airport around 6 PM, heading to Palma de Mallorca, Spain. Approximately four hours into the flight, an issue arose that caught the attention of security personnel.

As reported by air traffic control audio, the problem was linked to a Bluetooth device with a name that included an inappropriate four-letter word. Despite repeated requests from the crew for all passengers to disable their Bluetooth devices, two devices remained active. Unable to resolve the situation while airborne, the flight crew contacted United's headquarters in Chicago, leading to the decision to return.

The aircraft landed back at Newark Liberty at 9:37 PM, as confirmed by the New York and New Jersey port authority.

Passengers Rescreened After Landing

Upon landing, passengers were instructed to disembark so that Port Authority police could conduct a thorough sweep of the plane. TSA and Customs and Border Protection officials then screened all passengers again before allowing them to reboard, according to reports.

United Airlines has not provided specific details regarding the cause of the incident.

Journey Resumed on Replacement Aircraft

The passengers did not reach Spain that night. Instead, they were transferred to a replacement aircraft with a new crew, which departed in the early hours of Sunday and successfully landed in Palma that afternoon.

Another Incident Involving United Airlines

This diversion was not the only disruption for United Airlines over the weekend. On Friday, another United flight from Chicago to Minneapolis was diverted to Madison, Wisconsin, due to an unruly passenger who allegedly attempted to breach the cockpit.