Photo: Shutterstock Another passenger has rioted on a flight, this time involving a passenger who tried to open the door of a United Airlines plane and attacked another passenger.
This is flight UA1551, which departed from Newark for Guatemala yesterday, May 21, on a Boeing 737 Max 8.
The serious incident caused the flight, with 145 passengers and 6 crew members on board, to be diverted to Washington Dulles Airport, where it landed safely.
Law enforcement authorities were waiting at the airport to deal with the unruly passenger.
The flight was canceled, and an alternative flight was offered this morning (Friday, May 22, 2026). The passengers were given overnight accommodations.
These types of incidents are unfortunately becoming more common. We recently reported here about a passenger who assaulted a crew member on LATAM Airlines flight LA8070 from Sao Paulo to Frankfurt on May 10, 2026. She also noted that "at LATAM, this type of behavior is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.