A United Airlines flight bound for Palma de Mallorca, Spain, had to return to Newark Liberty International Airport due to a potential security threat reported during the flight. The Boeing 767, which had 190 passengers and 12 crew members on board, took off from Newark on Saturday evening but reversed course after several hours in the air.
The aircraft landed safely back at its departure point, where law enforcement and security teams promptly conducted a thorough inspection. The issue arose when crew members detected a Bluetooth device in use on the plane, prompting them to repeatedly ask passengers to turn off Bluetooth-enabled devices as they evaluated the situation.
Once the plane returned to Newark, passengers disembarked, allowing authorities to carry out a comprehensive security sweep of the aircraft. In addition, travelers were subjected to a re-screening process before being cleared to resume their journey.
Despite not providing specific details about the security threat, United Airlines confirmed that they arranged for a replacement aircraft and crew. The new flight took off early Sunday morning, safely transporting passengers to their intended destination in Palma de Mallorca.
This incident is part of a series of operational and security-related events involving United Airlines flights in recent weeks. These occurrences underscore the airline’s commitment to exercising caution and ensuring passenger safety when potential risks are identified.