by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 8:50 AM ET, Mon June 1, 2026
A United Airlines flight heading to Palma de Mallorca, Spain, from Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey had to turn back around after a passenger reportedly named a Bluetooth device, “BOMB.”
According to the Associated Press, the flight departed Newark at 6:00 p.m., but landed back at Newark at 9:37 p.m. The aircraft, a Boeing 767, had 190 passengers and 12 crew members on board.
The crew repeatedly told passengers to turn off all Bluetooth devices, though two remained on despite the request.
Upon landing, Port Authority police swept the aircraft, with passengers being evacuated and rescreened by TSA and Customs and Border Patrol before reboarding.
The original crew was replaced with a new crew, and the flight then took off for Palma, landing there over nine hours late.
United Airlines told reporters that the flight was turned around “to address a potential security concern.”
According to NPR, a passenger posted on TikTok that the Bluetooth device in question had been named “BOMB”. A Reddit post from someone claiming to be the spouse of a passenger on board also used the same word, saying it was later identified as a teenager’s Bluetooth speaker.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
