United Flight Diverts to Las Vegas After Passenger Threatens to Hijack Plane

Las Vegas police arrested a 25-year-old man after a United Airlines flight returned to Harry Reid International Airport less than an hour after departing for Newark, New Jersey, on Saturday night.

The criminal complaint states the passenger allegedly wrote that he was "gonna hijack this" plane and "crash ur row only." The document notes he used an expletive in the message but does not specify how it was sent or to whom it was directed.

United Airlines confirmed the flight, which carried 150 passengers, returned safely to address a "potential security concern." The airline delayed the redeye service overnight and departed for Newark on Sunday morning.

The man faces charges of making a threat or providing false information regarding an act of terrorism. This offense carries a possible sentence of one to 20 years in prison.

His attorney did not immediately return a request for comment. The defendant is scheduled for his initial court appearance on Tuesday.

The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed it will investigate the incident. In an email to The Associated Press, the agency noted that there have been over 1,400 unruly passenger incidents in the United States so far in 2026.