A United Airlines flight bound for Guatemala City was forced to make an emergency landing Thursday night at Washington Dulles International Airport following a disruption caused by an unruly passenger.
According to a statement provided to 7News by a United Airlines spokesperson, Flight 1551 landed safely at the Virginia airport, where law enforcement personnel were waiting for the aircraft upon arrival.
The flight had departed from Newark Liberty International Airport en route to Guatemala City aboard a Boeing 737 MAX 8 carrying 145 passengers along with six crew members.
United Airlines confirmed that the flight was canceled after the incident occurred. The airline arranged a replacement flight scheduled for Friday morning and provided hotel accommodations for affected passengers overnight.
Authorities have yet to disclose further information regarding the circumstances that triggered the disturbance during the flight.
Responding to an inquiry from 7News, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued the following statement:
“United Airlines Flight 1551 landed safely at Washington Dulles International Airport around 8:30 p.m. local time on Thursday, May 21, after the crew reported a passenger disturbance. The flight departed from Newark Liberty International Airport and was headed to Guatemala.”
The FAA also revealed that airlines have documented approximately 600 unruly passenger incidents so far in 2026.
The agency noted that disruptive passengers may face criminal prosecution and civil fines of up to $43,658 for each violation.
Meanwhile, 7News said it has also contacted the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) for additional details regarding the incident.
