A United Airlines flight from Houston to Amsterdam had to make an unplanned landing in Chicago on Monday due to an unruly passenger. According to aviation insider JonNYC on Twitter, the business class passenger was enraged because their meal choice was unavailable. The passenger was also intoxicated, the insider said.
JonNYC posted internal United Airlines communications showing that the flight had a “disruptive” passenger on board and reporting a threat level one – the lowest threat level. “But, to my way of thinking, this person had to be exceedingly disruptive for them to have handled it this way,” the insider noted.
Flightradar24 reported that the flight diverted to Chicago, where it had to circle the O’Hare airport to use up fuel for it to be light enough to land. The plane was in Chicago airspace about two hours into the flight, which typically takes about 9.5 hours.
United Airlines told The Guardian that the flight from George Bush International Airport in Houston diverted to O’Hare International Airport in Chicago and landed safely “following a passenger disturbance.” The police escorted the passenger off the plane. “The aircraft then continued to Amsterdam.”
Schiphol Airport reported that the flight landed just over three hours later than scheduled.
It is unclear which absent meal choice exactly upset the irate passenger. According to The Guardian, United Airlines business class passengers typically get a full three-course meal as well as more food throughout the flight.
