United Airlines Flight Turns Back Mid-Air After Pilot Forgets Passport
- Abeera Marium Siddiqui
- March 26, 2025
- 9:54 am
- 46
- Current Affairs
United Airlines flight turns back mid-air after a shocking mistake by the pilot. Flight UA198, traveling from Los Angeles (LAX) to Shanghai, had to return because the pilot forgot their passport. The Boeing 787-9, carrying 257 passengers, diverted to San Francisco, causing major delays and frustration.
Flight Makes a Sudden U-Turn
Flight UA198 departed from LAX at 2:00 PM on March 22, 2025. Everything seemed normal until the pilot realized they didn’t have their passport. Since flight crew members need valid identification to enter China, the journey could not continue.
The plane turned back mid-air and landed at San Francisco International Airport around 5:00 PM. Passengers were left confused and upset. Many expressed their frustration online.
One traveler posted on X (formerly Twitter), “UA198 diverted to SFO because the pilot forgot his passport? Now stuck for over six hours. Completely unacceptable. United, what compensation are you offering for this total mishandling?”
Passengers Demand Better Compensation
Once the plane landed in San Francisco, United Airlines worked to arrange a new crew. The flight finally took off again at 8:28 PM and arrived in Shanghai at 12:48 AM on March 24—over six hours late.
Many passengers were unhappy with United’s compensation. The airline gave out meal vouchers worth just $15, which barely covered a snack.
One passenger sarcastically wrote, “$15 at an airport? That gets you a bottle of water and half a granola bar!”
Yang Shuhan, a passenger from China, described the pilot’s announcement. “I heard his very frustrated voice over the intercom. He just said he forgot his passport,” she told CNN.
She received two meal vouchers worth $30, which she used for a quick meal. However, she also filed a compensation claim with the airline, expecting a response in 14 business days.
Another United Airlines Passport Incident?
This was not the first time a United Airlines flight turned back mid-air due to a missing passport. Just a week earlier, another United Airlines pilot forgot their passport before a Shanghai-bound flight.
Aviation experts are now questioning the airline’s pre-flight procedures. One Reddit user suggested, “They have checklists for everything—fuel, maintenance, safety. Maybe add ‘Do you have your passport?’ to the list!”
This mistake also affected passengers on the return flight. Flight UA199, scheduled to fly from Shanghai to Los Angeles, was delayed for six hours because of the inbound flight’s late arrival.
A business traveler shared their frustration. “Because of the delay, I had to reschedule all my Monday meetings. It was really inconvenient,” they said.
Aviation Experts Call It ‘Embarrassing’
Aviation analyst Shukor Yusof, founder of Endau Analytics, criticized the incident. He called it “quite embarrassing” for United Airlines. He also said it showed a “lack of discipline” in airline operations.
United Airlines has not yet confirmed if it will update its pre-flight checklist to prevent similar mistakes. However, repeated passport blunders are raising concerns about the airline’s operational efficiency.
