A United Airlines flight bound for Spain from Newark Liberty International Airport was forced to return mid-flight on Saturday, May 30, 2026, after a security threat linked to a Bluetooth device name.
The Boeing 767, carrying 190 passengers and 12 crew members, departed at approximately 6:00 p. m.
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for Palma de Mallorca, Spain, but landed back at Newark at 9:37 p. m.
, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Bluetooth Device Named 'BOMB' Triggered Alert
According to air traffic control audio, a 16-year-old passenger reportedly named his personal Bluetooth speaker 'BOMB.' The incident was reported by AirLive.
net, citing LiveATC. net audio archives and United Airlines company frequencies.
A passenger on social media said crew members repeatedly asked everyone to turn off Bluetooth devices, but two remained active.
The flight reversed course after contacting United Airlines headquarters in Chicago.
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After landing, passengers evacuated the plane while Port Authority police swept the aircraft.
Officers from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) re-screened passengers before they could reboard.
The airline declined to provide specifics about the cause.
Passengers later boarded a replacement flight with a new crew, which took off early Sunday morning and landed in Palma that afternoon.
This incident follows other recent United Airlines disruptions.
On Friday, May 29, 2026, a flight from Chicago to Minneapolis diverted to Madison, Wisconsin, due to an unruly passenger attempting to breach the cockpit.
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Additionally, a United flight landing at Newark struck a light pole and a delivery truck on May 3, 2026, injuring the truck driver.
