A United Airlines flight en route from San Francisco to Chicago was diverted to Denver due to an unruly passenger. The Boeing 737-900ER, operating as flight UA1494, departed San Francisco International Airport at 23:22 local time and landed in Denver at 02:12 local time on February 10.
United Airlines confirmed the diversion in a statement to ABC7 Chicago, noting that law enforcement officials met the aircraft upon arrival in Denver, removed the disruptive passenger, and allowed the flight to proceed to its original destination of Chicago O’Hare International Airport.
According to Flightradar24 data, the aircraft continued its journey from Denver at 07:27 local time and arrived in Chicago at 10:08 local time.
This incident is part of a broader trend involving unruly passengers. In January 2021, then-FAA Administrator Steve Dickson introduced stricter legal enforcement policies against such behavior due to a “disturbing increase in incidents” related to mask refusals and violence linked to political unrest. Dickson emphasized that flying remains safe but noted that disruptive actions could lead to penalties up to $35,000 and possible imprisonment.
The FAA has reported fluctuations in unruly passenger cases over recent years. Incidents peaked in 2021 with nearly 6,000 reports but decreased significantly by 2024. As of early February this year, there have been around 120 reports of misbehavior onboard flights.
In addition to fines, severe cases can be referred by the FAA to the FBI for further investigation and potential prosecution for offenses including assault or interference with flight operations.
