Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Here's why a Newark flight to Spain had to turn around over the Atlantic
By
Catalina Gonella
Published May 31, 2026
Modified Jun 1, 2026
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Gary Hershorn/Getty Images
By
Catalina Gonella
Published May 31, 2026
Modified Jun 1, 2026
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
A United Airlines flight bound for Spain turned around over the Atlantic Ocean on Saturday night after a suspicious Bluetooth device name triggered a security scare aboard the aircraft, according to passenger accounts and airline officials.
Flight 236 departed Newark Liberty International Airport around 6 p.m. Saturday for what was supposed to be an eight-hour journey to Palma de Mallorca. About two hours into the flight, concerns over a Bluetooth device with a suspicious name prompted the aircraft to return to Newark, the Associated Press reported.
A spokesperson for the Federal Aviation Administration said the flight, carrying 190 passengers and 12 crew members, landed back in New Jersey at 9:37 p.m. It took off again and eventually landed in Spain hours later than originally planned.
The route of United Flight 236 as it turned back toward Newark.
Courtesy of Jordan Moore
Arkansas native Jordan Moore, who was a passenger on the plane, told Gothamist that she spotted the word “BOMB” on her smartphone’s Bluetooth device options after another passenger alerted the airline’s staff of the device name during takeoff.
Moore said the flight wasn’t immediately stopped, but the captain eventually asked everyone to turn off their Bluetooth devices or the plane would have to turn around. Most passengers obliged, until the suspiciously named device was the only one still listed as a network, she said.
“At first, I wasn't necessarily worried at all. I was just like, 'It's a Bluetooth network,'” said Moore, who was on the last leg of a three-flight journey to Spain from Little Rock, Ark., with her friend Hayley Harmon. “But then, the captain came overhead and was like, 'This is the final warning,' and they didn't turn it off. Every single person has every device off and it still said ‘BOMB.’ That is a little concerning.”
She said dozens of law enforcement officials and emergency vehicles were waiting for the plane once it landed back in Newark.
“Finally, the doors open and all kinds of cops come on board, like, they're in the front, the back, the middle of the plane, they're just absolutely everywhere and they, one by one, shuffle us off the plane,” she said.
Hayley Harmon and Jordan Moore after United Flight 236 returned to Newark.
Courtesy of Jordan Moore
Moore said passengers were asked to leave their bags on the plane and were made to board shuttle buses back to the New Jersey airport.
That’s when she noticed the situation had gained traction on Reddit, where another passenger had shared what was happening aboard the plane.
“ We were tired, we were exhausted, at least it was providing us a form of entertainment,” she said.
Eventually, passengers were allowed to reboard the plane and take off again for Spain, landing there many hours after they had originally planned.
“ We got here around 4 p.m. [Sunday], got to our hotel, immediately changed into swimsuits and went straight to a little beach club and had sangria and tapas,” she said.
'Ask Governor Sherrill' on WNYC
“Ask Governor Sherrill” returns to WNYC Wednesday at 7 p.m.
WNYC "Morning Edition" host Michael Hill will ask the governor about the latest developments in New Jersey news Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. The show is in partnership with WBGO in Newark, WHYY in Philadelphia and South Jersey, and Montclair State University.
Call in at 844-745-8255 to speak with the governor, or submit your questions here in advance. The program airs on 93.9 FM, WNYC.org and the WNYC app.
Tagged
new jersey
transportation
Catalina Gonella
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Staten Island flag could become official under NYC Council bill
A City Council committee is set to vote Thursday on a bill that would put the borough’s current flag into city law.
By
Catalina Gonella
Published Aug 9, 2026 at 5:36 p.m. ET
A fresh look at who's gaining, losing ground in New York City's economy
A new state report sheds light on the economic winners and losers amid a growing policy debate.
By
Herb Pinder
News
A fresh look at who's gaining, losing ground in New York City's economy
A new state report sheds light on the economic winners and losers amid a growing policy debate.
By
Herb Pinder
Baby, woman die after boat overturns near Statue of Liberty; Man charged in incident
By
Michael Sol Warren
Former NY Gov. George Pataki’s modest monument to bipartisanship
By
Jimmy Vielkind
NYPD vehicle hits man lying in Bronx street after another car ran him over, police say
By
Samantha Max
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .