Passenger removed from flight to Las Vegas over face mask refusal
A flight to Las Vegas was diverted on Tuesday morning because of a “disruptive passenger” who also refused to wear a face mask, United Airlines said.
The flight from Newark Liberty International Airport to Las Vegas was diverted to Omaha, Nebraska, to remove the passenger, who was “refusing to comply with United’s face covering policy,” the airline said in an emailed statement.
“The flight was met by law enforcement, the passenger was removed and the flight has re-departed for Las Vegas,” the airline said.
The flight landed in Omaha about 10:30 a.m. and departed again for Las Vegas at 11 a.m., the airline said. It was scheduled to arrive at McCarran International Airport at 11:05 a.m., according to the airport’s website.
Omaha Airport Authority police said the male passenger was escorted off the plane but not arrested. Police declined to answer further questions.
Passengers are required to wear face masks that fully cover their nose and mouth during their entire flight on United Airlines, except while eating or drinking, according to the company’s website.
Further information was not immediately available.
Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240. Follow @k_newberg on Twitter.