United flight to Spain returns to Newark after security scare

A United Airlines Boeing 767 bound for Palma de Mallorca, Spain, turned back to Newark Liberty International Airport after a possible security threat, sending 190 passengers and 12 crew members through a second round of screening before they could continue their trip.

United Flight 236 left Newark around 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 30, 2026, then landed back at Newark at 9:37 p.m., after flight-tracking data showed it diverting over the Atlantic on the roughly eight-hour transatlantic route. Some tracking services also showed the jet using emergency squawk code 7700 during the return, a signal that can indicate an onboard emergency and prompt closer attention from air traffic control and airport authorities.

The airline did not say exactly what triggered the diversion, but air traffic control audio indicated security was alerted after a Bluetooth device had a name that was treated as threatening. Some reporting identified that name as “BOMB.” A passenger also said the crew repeatedly instructed travelers to turn off their Bluetooth devices because two remained connected, underscoring how quickly a small cabin issue can escalate once it reaches the cockpit and the ground.

Once the aircraft was back at Newark, Port Authority police swept the plane, and passengers were taken through fresh screening by TSA and Customs and Border Protection before being cleared to board a replacement aircraft with a new crew. The replacement flight left early Sunday, May 31, and reached Palma de Mallorca in the afternoon.

The episode added another disruption to a stretch of United troubles. On Friday, another United flight was diverted because of an unruly passenger, and earlier in the month a United jet landing at Newark struck a semitrailer truck and a light pole, though no one was hurt. For travelers on the Palma route, the immediate reality was hours of uncertainty, a late-night return to Newark, and a full reset before the airline could send them back across the Atlantic.