United Airlines flight turned back after passengers start a “riot”

United Airlines, Boeing, 787, Dreamliner, Parked at the gate, Auckland International Airport, New Zealand, 7 January 2020
By James Harrison


A United Airlines flight to Tel Aviv, Israel from New Jersey was turned around last week after two passengers caused a “riot” on the aircraft, according to reports.

According to Business Insider Australia, only 123 out of the maximum 300 passengers were on board the Boeing 787-10.

The two passengers seated themselves in business class and refused to show their tickets when asked by flight attendants.

Another passenger, Roi Lotan, told the Israeli broadcaster News 12, that the passengers became disruptive and “a riot started.”

About an hour and a half into the flight the plane was required to turn around and land at Newark Liberty International Airport.

Tracking from FlightAware’s website show that the plane was diverted near the US-Canada border between Maine and New Brunswick.

Flight-tracking data shows that the passengers disembarked from the plane in New York almost three hours after initially departing for Israel.

Israeli media outlet Arutz Sheva, reported that United Airlines provided passengers with meal vouchers, hotels, and alternative flights to Tel Aviv.

The airline confirmed to Business Insider Australia, that the flight turned back to New York because of “disruptive passengers on board.”

The plane was met by law enforcement officers after landing and the flight was cancelled.

The Port Authority Police Department did not lay charges against the disruptive passengers, according to CNN.

2021 saw an exponential increase in passenger unruliness with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) with 5,981 unruly passenger reports, which was more than 8 times the 693 recorded incidents in 2020.

4,290 of these were mask-related reports and the FAA initiated 1,081 investigations into these reports.

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