Bluetooth label sparks United flight’s return to Newark en route to Spain

A United Airlines 767 bound for Palma de Mallorca from Newark diverted and landed back in Newark after a passenger labeled a Bluetooth device with a “certain four-letter word,” prompting a full security sweep that included TSA/CBP re-screening. About 190 passengers and 12 crew were offloaded and re-screened; a replacement flight with a new crew departed for Spain the next morning. The FAA cited a passenger disturbance in its report. The incident follows ongoing reports of unruly-passenger events in 2026.