A United Airlines flight from London to Newark was forced to divert to Bangor, Maine, after a passenger became verbally and physically aggressive, according to prosecutors. Alexander Michael Dominic MacDonald, 30, from Chelmsford, England, was ordered to pay the airline $20,638 in restitution and was sentenced to time served after pleading guilty to interfering with a flight crew.
The incident occurred on United Airlines Flight 883, which departed from Heathrow Airport and was bound for Newark Liberty International Airport. The lead flight attendant intervened when MacDonald was heard arguing loudly, but he persisted in yelling, even threatening to disrupt the plane’s operation.
Despite attempts to calm him down, MacDonald remained noncompliant, prompting the crew to restrain him and ultimately divert the flight for the safety of everyone on board. The disruptive passengers, including MacDonald, were removed in Bangor before the flight continued to its destination.
While incidents of unruly passengers have declined since 2021, when disruptions spiked amid the pandemic, the Federal Aviation Administration maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward such behavior. Last year, the agency received over 2,000 reports of unruly passengers, down from nearly 6,000 in 2021.
