United Airlines flight to Israel turns back three hours into flight
NYC to Tel Aviv flight turns three HOURS into trip after passenger gets into fight with crew about using bathroom
- A United flight from Newark, New Jersey to Tel Aviv returned three hours after takeoff
- A passenger refused to get up from the flight attendant’s seat, others say
- The airline says it “returned shortly after takeoff due to a disruptive passenger”
A flight to Israel turned back three hours after takeoff because a passenger refused to get up from the flight attendant’s seat while waiting for the toilet.
United Airlines Flight 90 was en route to Tel Aviv from Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey on Sunday morning when it made a U-turn, the airline confirmed.
The plane took off from Newark after midnight at 12:48 a.m., in the early hours of Sunday, and landed there at 6:28 a.m., according to data from FlightAware.
United said the “disruptive” passenger was escorted off the plane first, but all other passengers had to disembark as well because the flight had to be rescheduled.
A new flight was scheduled for Sunday evening and the passengers finally reached Tel Aviv after 6 a.m. Monday morning.
A passenger sitting in a seat reserved for an airline’s cabin crew caused a United Airlines flight bound for Tel Aviv, Israel, to re-enter the flight three hours later
United Airlines Flight 90 returned after traveling across the Atlantic for nearly three hours. His path is shown
A passenger told the Israeli website Ynet that a man wanted to use the bathroom, but because none were free, he was waiting for a seat intended for the cabin crew.
When a flight attendant raised his voice at the man and asked him to get out of the seat, he yelled back and wouldn’t get up, she said.
“Crew members told him that if he didn’t return to his seat, the plane would be returned to New York,” the eyewitness told Ynet.
She said the unruly passenger didn’t believe the threat and so stayed in the seat. But to everyone’s surprise, the crew member complied by instructing the pilot to turn around.
The witness also said that passengers were not informed of the course change and were surprised to see the plane had changed course.
“Nobody bothered to inform us,” she said. “We just saw it on the map with our flight path and when we landed we saw the police waiting for the plane.”
The disruptive man was seen talking to other passengers after the flight returned to New Jersey
Video taken by a passenger shows the moment the unknown man was escorted off the plane with his hand luggage.
Another video, recorded by passenger Jeff Hunt, showed the man talking about the incident to a group of people at the Newark airport as people waited to collect their luggage.
Hunt shared his experience on Twitter, noting that the man was just walking around the airport freely.
Man who disrupted a flight to Tel Aviv and forced a return to Newark not even arrested. I was just wondering if the airport is making its case. Incredible,” he wrote.
In a subsequent tweet, he added: “The man who forced our plane to turn around mid-Atlantic continues to make his case. Claims he only raised his voice in frustration over a delayed flight. No violence. No regrets from him for delaying everyone else’s journey either.”
United Airlines issued a statement to DailyMail.com that read: ‘United Flight 90, traveling from Newark to Tel Aviv, returned to Newark shortly after takeoff due to a disruptive passenger.
Law enforcement officers met the plane and removed the passenger. A new flight would depart on Sunday evening.’