Man arrested after allegedly threatening to hijack United flight from Las Vegas

A 25-year-old passenger was arrested on a United redeye out of Las Vegas on Saturday night after allegedly writing that he would hijack the plane and "crash ur row only." A criminal complaint filed in the case reproduces the message, which also included an expletive. The document does not specify how the message was sent or who received it.

The flight, carrying 150 passengers and bound for Newark, New Jersey, returned to Las Vegas International Airport less than an hour after departing, according to Flightradar24 data. United said the aircraft landed safely to address a "potential security concern." The plane stayed overnight and left for Newark on Sunday morning.

Las Vegas police said they took the man into custody following a report about "terroristic threats" on the flight. He faces a charge of making a threat or providing false information about an act of terrorism, a count that carries a possible sentence of one to 20 years in prison. An attorney listed for him did not respond to a request for comment. His initial court appearance is set for Tuesday.

The Federal Aviation Administration said it will investigate the incident. In an email to The Associated Press, the agency said it has logged more than 1,400 unruly passenger incidents so far in 2026.