United Airlines flight forced to divert to Chicago after passenger enraged by ‘meal choice’
Passenger removed from flight due to food-related ‘disturbance’
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The feeling of being hangry is one many people will be all too familiar with: a rumbling belly, a singular focus on that next meal, being ready to snap at the next person who so much as looks at you. But have you ever been so hangry you’ve found yourself kicked off a plane?
A United Airlines business class passenger’s unruly behaviour caused a flight from Houston, Texas, bound for the Dutch capital, Amsterdam, to be diverted to Chicago – allegedly because his preferred meal was not available.
The flight, which took off at 4.20pm, was in Chicago airspace just two hours into its journey when it began circling the city’s O’Hare International Airport to use up fuel in order to reduce the weight of the aircraft, reports The Guardian.
Flightradar24, an air tracking website, tweeted that the flight was “jettisoning fuel prior to diversion” due to a problem passenger.
Aviation watcher XJonNYC shared internal United communications on Twitter stating that there was a “disruptive [passenger] on board”. He also tweeted that the passenger “was noted to be intoxicated as well, but meal choice seems to have been an enragement point.”
The Independent has contacted United Airlines for comment.
In a statement to The Guardian, the airline said: “United flight 20 from George Bush Intercontinental Airport to Amsterdam diverted to O’Hare International Airport and landed safely following a passenger disturbance. Law enforcement met the aircraft at the gate and escorted the passenger off the plane. The aircraft then continued to Amsterdam.”
According to Flightrader24, the flight landed in the Netherlands more than three hours late.
The disruptive passenger may not have enjoyed flying with Japan Airlines if he was looking to satisfy his hunger, with the operator emphasising the sustainability benefits of avoiding a mid-flight lunch and giving travellers the option to skip their meal.
Although it’s arguably preferable to have no meal at all than to have the experience of one SunExpress flight attendant, who found a severed snake’s head in her dish.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments