United Airlines Flight to Spain Diverts to Newark After Bluetooth Threat

On Saturday, a United Airlines flight en route to Palma de Mallorca, Spain, from Newark Liberty International Airport was forced to return mid-journey due to a potential security issue. The Boeing 767, which had 190 passengers and 12 crew members onboard, took off around 6pm local time and arrived back in Newark at 9:37pm, as reported by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Audio from air traffic control indicated that the plane was inspected after a Bluetooth device was named with a 'certain four-letter word.' A passenger shared on social media that crew members asked repeatedly for all Bluetooth devices to be switched off, yet two remained active. The flight reversed course after consulting with the airline's Chicago headquarters.