A United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Shanghai was forced to turn back midair after a surprising oversight—one of the pilots forgot their passport.
Flight UA 198, carrying 257 passengers and 13 crew, had been airborne for two hours before it was redirected to San Francisco. According to United Airlines, a new crew was arranged, and passengers were given meal vouchers and compensation. The rescheduled flight took off later that night, arriving in Shanghai six hours behind schedule.
Passenger Yang Shuhan, who was onboard, described hearing the pilot’s frustrated announcement about the missing passport. While some passengers took the delay in stride, others vented their frustration online, calling the mistake “unacceptable.”
Aviation analyst Shukor Yusof criticized the incident, labeling it a “lack of discipline” for a global airline. Beyond the passenger inconvenience, the mishap added costs for fuel dumping and compensations.
This incident follows a string of recent controversies for United Airlines, adding to growing concerns about operational lapses within the airline industry.
SOURCE:CNN
