Passenger Threat Forces Delta Flight to Return to Boston

On July 30, a Delta Air Lines flight from Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) returned to Boston after a passenger threatened the flight's safety. Delta flight DL 5770 departed Boston at 5:29 p.m. local time and returned to the same airport at 6:42 p.m. to "facilitate the removal of a passenger", according to a representative from Republic Airways, which operates this specific route.

The Massachusetts State Police (MSP) said the following in a statement: "Delta Airlines Flight 5770, Boston to Newark, returned to Logan Airport this afternoon after an anonymous third party caller reported to a New Jersey policy agency that a passenger aboard the plane had allegedly made threats related to the safety of the flight."

In addition, MSP spokesperson Dave Procopio said: "Massport Fire and Massachusetts State Police were waiting when the plane landed and Troopers escorted the male passenger off the airline. The passenger's two carry-on bags were searched by members of the MSP Bomb Squad and explosive ordinance detection dogs. No hazards were located. The passenger had no checked luggage."

A male passenger was escorted off the Delta flight by state troopers once it returned to Boston.

The passenger's two carry-on bags were searched by the Massachusetts State Police Bomb Squad and explosive ordinance detection dogs. After searching through his luggage, the authorities found no weapons or hazardous materials. The flight later departed for Newark at 9:43 p.m. local time with a different crew after the disruptive passenger was removed from the flight.

Officials later revealed that the situation was a hoax and that the disruptive passenger was not a threat. On July 31, they said that the passenger cooperated with the police and did not disrupt public safety.

It is currently unknown if the passenger will face any charges since the investigation is ongoing. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has a zero-tolerance policy on passengers that engage in threatening or violent behavior on flights, with these incidents leading to quick investigations by the FAA. There were 2,455 reports of incidents on domestic flights in 2022, representing a major decrease from 5,973 such incidents in 2021.