United flight returns to Las Vegas after passenger threat report
A United Airlines flight bound for Newark turned back to Las Vegas after a passenger was reported to have made a terror threat, leading to his arrest.
A United Airlines flight that departed Las Vegas for Newark on Saturday night was forced to return to its origin less than an hour after takeoff after crew reported a passenger disturbance. Las Vegas police said they detained a 25-year-old man and arrested him on charges of making a threat or providing false information about an act of terrorism. The airline confirmed the aircraft, carrying about 150 passengers, landed safely and the flight was delayed overnight before departing for 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. The passenger's attorney has not responded to requests for comment, and the man's initial court appearance is set for Tuesday.
"The flight returned to address a potential security concern," United said in a statement. "We are cooperating with authorities as they investigate the matter," a United spokesperson added.