United Airlines flight to Mallorca returns to Newark after Bluetooth device triggers security concern

On 30 May, a United Airlines flight from Newark to Palma de Mallorca returned to its departure airport after a Bluetooth device detected on board raised security concerns.

The Boeing 767, registered as N67052,  had departed Newark Liberty International Airport bound for the Spanish holiday island when a passenger reportedly noticed a suspiciously named Bluetooth device appearing in a list of nearby connections. According to reports, the device was identified by a name containing the word “bomb”.

The crew instructed passengers to switch off all Bluetooth-enabled devices. However, at least two devices remained detectable, including the one that had triggered the alarm. Following consultations with United Airlines’ operations centre, the flight crew decided to return to Newark as a precaution.

The aircraft landed safely back in New Jersey around three hours after departure. All passengers were required to disembark while law enforcement and security personnel conducted a thorough inspection of the aircraft.

According to reports in US media, the device was later traced to a Fitbit fitness tracker belonging to a 16-year-old passenger who had allegedly renamed it “bomb”. No suspicious items were found during the security sweep.

The FBI is reportedly reviewing the incident, although no local charges had been filed as of Sunday.

Passengers eventually continued their journey to Mallorca on a replacement flight the following morning.

While some may question whether a diversion was necessary, aviation security procedures generally leave little room for doubt when a potential threat is identified. Similar incidents in the past, including threatening messages found on aircraft, have prompted crews to take a cautious approach. In aviation, the principle often remains the same: better safe than sorry.