NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana — A 34-year-old man was arrested after allegedly telling crew members he had a bomb aboard a United Airlines flight headed to New Orleans, authorities said.
The man reportedly began behaving erratically late in the flight and made the bomb claim, according to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. The aircraft landed safely at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, where law enforcement took him into custody without incident.
He was taken to the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center and booked on charges of communicating false information about planned arson and terrorizing, the sheriff’s office said.
The Federal Aviation Administration said it intends to investigate the incident, which took place on a United Airlines flight.
United Airlines said the plane, which departed from Newark, New Jersey, arrived safely after what it described as “a disruptive incident involving a passenger onboard.” Law enforcement officers met the aircraft after it landed, the airline said.
The Boeing 737 Max 9 was carrying 46 passengers and six crew members.
The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office did not release further details.
__
Kelety reported from Phoenix. Associated Press writer Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska, contributed.
Copyright © 2026 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
