United flight returns to Las Vegas after passenger threatens hijack
A United Airlines flight bound for Newark was diverted back to Las Vegas after a passenger allegedly threatened to hijack the aircraft, leading to his arrest on terrorism-related charges.
A United Airlines flight that departed Las Vegas for Newark on Saturday was forced to turn back less than an hour after takeoff after a 25-year-old passenger allegedly wrote a message indicating he intended to "hijack" the plane and "crash" the row. Las Vegas police detained the man on suspicion of making a terroristic threat and arrested him on charges of providing false information about a terrorist act, an offense that carries a possible sentence of one to 20 years.
The airline confirmed that the aircraft, carrying about 150 passengers, returned safely to address a "potential security concern" and was delayed overnight before completing the trip to Newark on Sunday morning. The Federal Aviation Administration said it will investigate the incident and noted that more than 1,400 unruly passenger incidents have been recorded so far in 2026.
"Potential security concern" – United Airlines spokesperson
The passenger's attorney did not respond to a request for comment, and the suspect is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.