Unbelievably, it’s been only four days since we wrote about the last Hawaii flight diversion. Then tonight, an American Airlines Boeing 789 Dreamliner diverted en route to Honolulu from Phoenix.
The plane departed Phoenix Sky Harbor and was in the air for over three hours before touching down at LAX. The rerouting was caused by a passenger behavior issue onboard. American Airlines confirmed that the diversion was “Involving an unruly customer. We thank our crew for their professionalism and our customers for their understanding.”
The Dreamliner flight departed Phoenix at 11:14 AM for what should have been about a six-hour thirty-minute flight to Honolulu. Instead, after flying well past the coast and into the Pacific on its way to Oahu, it abruptly turned back, as seen in the FlightAware image above.
After apparently depositing the unruly passenger(s) in Los Angeles, the plane again departed for Honolulu. The aircraft is due to arrive at Honolulu within minutes from now. We’ll update this as we learn more.
An earlier article this week on Beat of Hawaii, featured a Honolulu flight diversion that resulted from a flight attendant being choked. That occurred last week. And with today’s incident, there are a total of eight recent Hawaii diversions for bad passenger behavior.
Last week’s diversion was on an Air Canada Flight from Vancouver that made the unexpected diversion to Hawaii to have the passenger removed and arrested.
Pacific Ocean flights are always problematic in terms of diversion choices since there are so few. This plane would have continued to Honolulu if the flight had been another hour into its journey. Until the midpoint is reached over the Pacific, flights return to the mainland when there are issues.
Whats wrong with these people! If you don’t know how to act stay home. I have a suggestion. Next time they have to drop off an unruly passenger here in Hawaii, have the biggest braddah you can find at the airport meet him at the gate. And no need have them escorted any where except da braddah can take him to a nice quiet spot where other brahdah friends can encourage him to behave and no act up! If you don’t know how to act, stay home!
These disruptions has got to stop. Do it by steep, very steep fines and possible jail time. Passengers should be told prior to boarding if you behave in this manner you’re gonna pay for it.
Our flight was diverted as well. AA697 Lihue to Phoenix. I hope these disruptive passengers are given STIFF jail time and fines. Their chaos causes 100’s of people great frustration and financial hardship.
Love It Bruddah! Pono Mana or No Come!
I am at a loss as to why these incidents are occurring. Granted sometimes you don’t get what you want but having a temper tantrum
will not work. Mahalo
I had the good fortune to be a flight attendant for 45yrs with American Airlines from 1968-2013. I survived 3 bomb threats, sick passengers, one death, had the great honor of flying our troops in and out of the Middle East and I was in the air on 9/11.
There is not enough money to make me want to fly in these crazy times. The Flight Attendants are required and trained extensively to save your life. Your coke and peanuts come with the ticket!!!!
These diversions are very expensive for airlines. Landing fees, additional fuel, crew changes, ground crews, etc. Passengers who disrupt these flights and cause diversions should be billed for all charges acquired by the airlines, airport charges, and change costs for other passengers. Of course the guilty moron would incur all legal and court fees.
That should be a given ….I would actually like to know what happens in these cases. The previous passenger was arrested, but then what?
Good! We don’t want unruly people in our state.
No Aloha?
No Entry into our land of Aloha.
Nuff said.