United Airlines flight from LA to Shanghai forced to turn back after pilot forgets passport

A United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Shanghai was forced to turn around two hours into its journey after a pilot forgot their passport. The flight had to be diverted to San Francisco due to the issue. This caused significant delays for the passengers.

As per reports, the flight UA 198 departed from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Saturday, March 22 at around 2 pm local time. The flight was bound for China’s largest city. However, mid-flight it was discovered that one of the pilots did not have their passport, which would make it impossible for the plane to enter China.

A People report stated that the aircraft was then diverted to San Francisco, where it landed at 5:05 pm (local time).

United Airlines confirms incident

The airlines confirmed the incident. In their statement to CNN, United Airlines said that since the pilot did not have their passport, they arranged for a new crew to take the passengers to their destination. They added that the customers were provided with meal vouchers and compensation.

Passenger frustration

The passengers were given a meal voucher totalling $30 after landing in San Francisco. However, many expressed frustration over the situation. One of the passengers aboard the flight told CNN that she heard the pilot’s ‘very frustrated’ voice over the intercom. The pilot admitted that he had forgotten his passport.

The passenger—Yang Shuhan—told CNN that she ultimately reached Shanghai at 12.43 am on Monday, March 24—six hours later than scheduled. She added that this delay disrupted her plans since she still had a two-and-a-half-hour drive ahead of her after landing.

As per the reports, passengers on a Chinese social media platform also expressed frustrations over the incident, with one account asking how a person could mess this up badly at work.

Impact on other flights

Reportedly, the delay of Flight US 198 also affected the return flight UA 199 from Shanghai to Los Angeles. Another business traveller told CNN that the delay impacted their Monday plans and called this incident “really inconvenient”.

Aviation experts call incident unacceptable

The aviation experts said that the incident was “unacceptable” for a major global airline. The CNN report quoted Shukor Yusof stating that the event could cost the airlines dearly due to the price associated with diverting the aircraft, dumping jet fuel, and compensating passengers. He called the error an “embarrassment” for United Airlines.

The incident is the latest in a string of incidents involving the company. United Airlines is currently facing a lawsuit filed by an Orthodox Jewish passenger and is embroiled in another controversy over a child’s medical equipment.

FAQs

1. Why did the United Airlines flight return?

The flight had to turn back to San Francisco after one of the pilots left their passport behind, making them unable to enter China.

2. How were the passengers compensated for the delay?
The passengers were given meal vouchers worth $30 and were told they were eligible to file compensation claims. Some were dissatisfied with the response.