United Airlines pilot allegedly threatens passengers with FBI intervention over Wi-Fi hot spot name



A pilot allegedly threatened to call authorities this month over a Wi-Fi name that was determined to be a potential security threat.

The story came from a person who claimed to have been a passenger on a United Airlines flight that featured an awkward moment when the pilot addressed the travelers and issued a warning.

'You could feel everyone looking around.'

The alleged passenger said the pilot came over the speaker "sounding extremely serious" and said the name of the Wi-Fi hot spot was being interpreted as a potential threat and security issue, Simply Flying reported.

According to the witness, the pilot warned whoever was hosting the network labeled "Free Palestine, F Zionists" had "30 seconds" to disable it or remove it from public view or he was going to have the FBI meet the aircraft when it landed.

"FBI will meet the plane," the passenger recalled hearing.

"The entire cabin got dead silent," the witness alleged in a post on Reddit. "You could feel everyone looking around, trying to figure out who it was."

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Karl Gehring/Denver Post/Getty Images

The social media user also claimed that while some of the passengers looked nervous, others were laughing because they thought it was an absurd situation.

The storyteller said it felt like an example of hyper-political-polarization, where regular people are bringing political messaging into almost any situation, causing institutions to react with full force rather than risk missing a warning sign.

The quick escalation is what the storyteller found most startling, noting that there was no request from a flight attendant, but rather a serious public announcement that turned an "edgy hot spot name" into a security issue.

However, it is not irregular for pilots or flight crews to raise the alarm over Wi-Fi names out of an abundance of caution.

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Nasir Kachroo/NurPhoto/Getty Images

In February, Hungarian airline Wizz Air had fighter jets scrambled during a flight from London to Tel Aviv over a Wi-Fi network labeled "Terrorist" written in Arabic. According to PYOK, security forces were waiting to meet the plane at Ben Gurion Airport.

PYOK also reported on an incident from January when fighter jets from both France and Spain were scrambled over a Turkish Airlines flight from Istanbul to Barcelona. This incident related to a network named "I HAVE A BOMB. EVERYONE WILL DIE."

United Airlines did not respond to a request for comment about the recent alleged incident.

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'I messed up': LaGuardia Airport shut down after deadly collision



Two are dead and scores more are injured after a plane collided with a fire truck at New York's LaGuardia Airport.

When touching down on Runway 4 at approximately 11:40 p.m. on Sunday, an Air Canada Express CRJ-900 plane operated by regional partner Jazz Aviation struck a Port Authority Airport Rescue and Firefighting vehicle that was responding to a separate incident, said the airport.

'That wasn't good to watch.'

Jazz Aviation confirmed that flight 8646 was en route to LaGuardia from Montreal and carrying 72 passengers and four crew members.

Kathryn Garcia, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, said during a press conference early Monday morning that "initial numbers indicate that 41 passengers and crew were transported to the hospital as well as the [Airport Rescue] officers. At this time, we understand that 32 have been released, but there are also serious injuries."

Garcia confirmed that the pilot and first officer of the Air Canada flight were killed in the collision. The sergeant and the officer who were inside the truck are in stable condition with no life-threatening injuries.

Air Canada said in a statement, "We are deeply saddened by the loss of two Jazz employees, and our deepest condolences go out to the entire Jazz community and their families."

RELATED: One crash, one derailment — and Congress still can’t follow the data

Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images

Jack Cabot, a passenger on the ill-fated flight, said, "We went down for a regular landing. We came in pretty hard. We immediately hit something, and it was just chaos in there. About five seconds later, we had come to a stop, but in that short period, I mean, everybody was hunkered down and everybody was screaming pretty quickly," reported Canadian state media.

"We didn't have any directions because the pilot's cabin had been kind of destroyed, so somebody said, 'Let's get the emergency exit and get the door and let's all jump out,' and that's exactly what we did," added Cabot.

In audio capturing LaGuardia tower communication in the moments leading up to the collision, a ground controller can be heard instructing the truck, "Just stop there. ... Stop, stop, stop, Truck One, stop, stop, stop! Stop, Truck One! Stop!"

The two-man vehicle was headed to a United flight that had reported an issue with an odor, according to Garcia.

"Jazz 646, I see you collide with a vehicle, just hold position," continues the controller. "I know you can't move. Vehicles are responding to you now."

By that point, the cockpit was shorn off, with its occupants almost certainly dead.

An individual in the recording states, "That wasn't good to watch."

The controller who told the truck to stop responds, "Yeah, I know, I was here. I tried to reach out to 'em and stop 'em. We were dealing with an emergency earlier, and I messed up."

Garcia noted that where port authority rescue vehicles operating on the tarmac are concerned, "the procedure always is in deference to the control tower any time anyone is moving on any of our runways or taxiways," and "they have to get clearance from the tower to move on our runways and our taxiways."

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the collision.

LaGuardia, which warned travelers days earlier of "longer than usual wait times" at security checkpoints "due to staffing impacts from the federal funding lapse," announced that the airport will remain closed until at least 2 p.m. on Monday — the first day of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents' expected nationwide deployment to help with security lines at airports.

The New York Police Department announced Monday morning that all streets and highway exits into the airport have been closed until further notice.

According to Federal Aviation Administration data, LaGuardia was the 19th busiest American airport in 2024.

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Trump’s Transportation Department Necessarily Brings Back Shaming, Thank God

The Trump administration’s Department of Transportation has brought back shaming, and anyone who flies even just once per year should fully support it. Back in December 2021, aboard American Airlines to Cancún for a Christmas-time family vacation, I asked the flight attendant if the airline had started serving alcohol again. “No,” he said, “not until […]

You can now buy a real-life Jetsons vehicle for the same price as a luxury car



Personal aviation vehicles have officially hit the public market.

The same inventor who brought the "Star Wars" speeder bike to life earlier this year just delivered what appears to be the next step in transportation.

'This marks a new era in aviation.'

Tomasz Patan says his new all-electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft is designed for recreational and safe use.

The company, called Jetson, has released Jetson ONE, a new vehicle that seems to be part hovercraft, part helicopter, and all fun.

Described by the company as a "formula one racing car for the sky," the aircraft does not require a pilot license, despite its use of eight motors and propellers.

"This marks a new era in aviation, where incredibly fun and easy-to-operate personal flying machines become accessible to anyone who wants to realize the dream of flight," the company wrote on X.

The Italian company recently made its first delivery, boasting that its new billionaire pilot took less than an hour to complete training on the unique vehicle.

RELATED: This 'Star Wars' vehicle is now real, and you don't need a license to fly one

Founder of Oculus and Anduril Industries, Palmer Luckey was indeed that lucky new pilot, reportedly completing the training faster than any civilian the company has seen.

While Luckey had no problem piloting the vehicle, consumers may be wondering if they need a wallet comparable to the tech entrepreneur’s in order to afford one. While new owners won't exactly need to be a billionaire to get their hands on the Jetson ONE, it’s not exactly cheap, either.

At a price similar to a luxury car, the Jetson ONE requires an $8,000 down payment with a total price tag of $128,000. Customers will not get their aircraft until 2027, though, as the entire 2025 and 2026 production runs have already sold out. Over 515 customers will get their vehicles delivered this year, the company said in a press release.

What’s more, the 100 units of the founder's edition appear to be no longer available.

RELATED: Right-wing investor to challenge traditional banking with national crypto bank

Palmer Luckey inspects the Jetson ONE. Image provided to Blaze News by Jetson.

"This delivery is more than a milestone — it’s a statement," CEO of Jetson Stephan D'haene said in a statement. "Launching our first Jetson ONE with Palmer Luckey, a visionary who has reshaped both consumer and defense technology, sets the tone for what Jetson represents: innovation, freedom, and the future of mobility."

Patan added, "I still remember the early days when Palmer reached out to us and said he wanted to become a Jetson ONE owner. Originally scheduled for early 2023, the delivery took a bit longer than anticipated."

The Jetson company was started in Poland by Patan, who developed the aircraft's prototype in 2017. He then moved to Italy in 2022 to undergo full production of the vehicle. The company is now ready to expand operations, which includes training pilots in California.

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Fighter jet executes 'headbutt' maneuver as 11 planes breach restricted airspace above Trump's NJ retreat over weekend



A total of 11 aircraft violated the restricted airspace over New Jersey during President Donald Trump's July Fourth weekend visit, prompting a fighter jet to be scrambled, according to authorities.

The First Air Force — also known as Air Forces Northern, which is headquartered at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida — announced in a statement that 11 civilian aircraft breached the temporary flight restriction airspace over Bedminster, New Jersey, where President Trump was spending the holiday weekend.

'No excuses! Stay sharp, stay legal, and stay out of restricted airspace.'

"This morning’s intercept, followed by two later [temporary flight restriction] violations, brings the total to 11 unauthorized incursions into restricted airspace this weekend," the First Air Force stated on Sunday.

North American Aerospace Defense Command scrambled a fighter jet to intercept unauthorized aircraft violating the temporary flight restriction in the airspace over the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, approximately 40 miles west of New York City.

Around 2:40 p.m. on Saturday, a fighter jet intercepted a civilian aircraft and executed a "headbutt" maneuver before safely escorting the plane out of the restricted airspace, Fox News reported.

The headbutt maneuver is an aerial interception technique used by military planes to visually alert and redirect an unauthorized aircraft that has violated restricted airspace. The military airplane will fly in close proximity to the unauthorized aircraft before cutting in front of the nose of the civilian aircraft, according to Newsweek.

An F-16 jet carried out a headbutt maneuver on a "general aviation aircraft" near the airspace around Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort on April 4, Newsweek reported.

As Blaze News reported in March, F-16 fighter jets intercepted two unauthorized aircraft that had breached a temporary flight restriction in Florida when President Trump was at Mar-a-Lago in West Palm Beach.

RELATED: Key US Air Force base shut down over drone activity as aerospace CEO unveils chilling theory on wave of mysterious drones

— (@)

James Gagnon — a former NORAD Operations Division Operations Standards Branch chief — revealed the procedure for when an aircraft violates the temporary flight restriction.

"When an aircraft enters a TFR that is not in contact with air traffic control and fighters are available, we'll have the fighter aircraft escort them out of the TFR," Gagnon explained.

"It's these people who are not on a flight plan or are flying VFR (Visual Flight Rules)," Gagnon continued. "They're not talking to anybody, and FAA doesn't know who they are. It's much easier when you're talking to the guy."

NORAD noted that if the pilot of the unauthorized aircraft does not respond, the military plane will employ "more aggressive tactics such as dropping flares and performing 'headbutt' maneuvers, the rough equivalent of giving someone a shove and saying, 'Hey, you!'"

A NORAD spokesperson told Reuters that the fighter jet involved in the intercept was an F-16.

RELATED: 2 males accused of operating drone 'dangerously close' to Boston's Logan Airport

Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images

The First Air Force cautioned pilots: "These TFRs are in place for a reason. No excuses! Stay sharp, stay legal, and stay out of restricted airspace."

NORAD warned pilots, "It is critically important for North American flight safety that temporary flight restriction (TFR) violations are avoided. All pilots must familiarize themselves with updates to restricted airspace, including reviewing new and existing FAA [Notice to Airmen] that impact their flight plans and activities. Adhering to FAA restricted airspace protocols is mandatory, regardless of geographical region, airframe, or aircrew."

Gen. Gregory M. Guillot, the commander of NORAD, stated on Sunday, "NORAD and the FAA aim to keep the skies over America safe, with close attention paid to areas with temporary flight restrictions (TFR) to ensure flight safety, national security, and the security of the president."

Guillot stressed, "TFR procedures are mandatory, and the excessive number of TFR violations this weekend indicates some civil aviators are not reading Notice to Airmen, or NOTAMs, before each flight as required by the FAA."

Guillot warned that any unauthorized aircraft in temporary flight restriction airspace will be intercepted by an armed fighter aircraft from NORAD.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, pilots who violate TFRs can face fines and certificate suspensions or revocations, depending on the severity of the violation.

NORAD is a joint organization between the United States and Canada that is tasked with "the missions of aerospace warning and aerospace control for North America," and includes "monitoring of man-made objects in space and the detection, validation, and warning of attack against North America whether by aircraft, missiles, or space vehicles, through mutual support arrangements with other commands."

RELATED: Florida JetBlue flight diverted after unruly passenger claims to be the devil, punches female companion

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'All 2SLGBTQIA+ crew': Airline mocked mercilessly after dropping insane promo video to celebrate all-rainbow flight crew



Aviation's marriage to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives has been coupled with equal parts mockery and life-threatening incidents, seemingly coming to a head in 2025.

Tone-deaf diversity programs may have finally reached their pinnacle, though, with a new video from Canada's biggest airline titled "Air Canada: With pride in every role."

'We would like to point out this watershed moment in Canadian history.'

On June 2, Air Canada achieved peak wokeness by celebrating gay pride and telling customers it had deployed an entire flight crew based on sexuality; but not every employee could put together the latest acronym the company chose to use for its promotional video.

"We are doing the first ever — now let me get that one straight because a few letters have been added to this one — 2SLGBTQIA+ flight ever in Canada," a pilot said from his cockpit.

The video panned through different crew members wearing transgender pride flags and making announcements about their understanding of the importance of the flight.

"To celebrate inclusion and diversity, we are proud to announce that today's flight features our very first all 2SLGBTQIA+ crew," one employee said in an announcement.

"We would like to point out this watershed moment in Canadian history," another employee said in French.

RELATED: Boeing escapes prosecution for deadly 737 MAX crashes

Air Canada's social media posts were met with so much disagreement that it disabled comments on X but not before a flurry of backlash came in.

"Please explain how sexual preference affects plane flights, I would like to know why an airline is obsessed with something that has nothing to do with flying planes," one viewer wrote.

Another upset X user said, "This is absolutely ridiculous — all we need and care about is competent employees, regardless of what they're doing in their bedrooms. Get a grip."

This is absolutely ridiculous - all we need and care about is competent employees, regardless of what they're doing in their bedrooms.

Get a grip.
— Michael (@justwannasayth2) June 2, 2025

Air Canada could not escape ridicule on its YouTube channel either, where comments remained.

"Do your job, and prioritize that. People don't care who you want to have sex with," the top comment read.

"If you're trying to distract people from your s**t service, you just made it worse," another YouTube user declared.

That last commenter likely has a point; Air Canada was ranked the ninth-worst airline in North America by Cirium in 2024, the worst in Canada.

Compare the Market ranked the airline the 10th worst in the entire world in 2023. Reaching back a few years, Air Canada was also considered the worst airline in North America in terms of satisfaction in 2017 by Kelowna Now.

RELATED: Delta passengers hold up collapsing ceiling mid-flight for more than 30 minutes

TORONTO, ONTARIO - JUNE 30: Air Canada participates in the 43rd annual Toronto Pride Parade on June 30, 2024 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Harold Feng/Getty Images)

"This is a corporate-backed attempt to normalize these disordered lifestyles," Fandom Pulse editor John F. Trent told Blaze News.

Trent explained that while in recent years, programs like Air Canada's could be considered virtue-signaling, at this point it should be considered a blatant ideological push.

"It has become abundantly clear they want these behaviors normalized, and they want more and more people living as depraved as possible. This is evil and must be opposed."

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Boeing escapes prosecution for deadly 737 MAX crashes



Boeing and the Department of Justice reached a deal regarding two 737 MAX crashes that resulted in the deaths of 346 people.

Friday court filings revealed that Boeing has agreed to "pay or invest" over $1.1 billion, which includes a $487.2 million criminal fine, $445 million to the crash victims' families, and another $445 million on compliance, safety, and quality programs.

'Nothing will diminish the victims' losses, but this resolution holds Boeing financially accountable, provides finality and compensation for the families, and makes an impact for the safety of future air travelers.'

The agreement allows Boeing to avoid prosecution for the deadly 2018 and 2019 plane crashes.

RELATED: Boeing agrees to plead guilty to criminal fraud over fatal 737 MAX crashes: DOJ

Crash site of Ethiopia Airlines on March 11, 2019. MICHAEL TEWELDE/AFP via Getty Images

The DOJ stated, "Ultimately, in applying the facts, the law, and Department policy, we are confident that this resolution is the most just outcome with practical benefits."

Paul Cassell, an attorney for many of the victims' families, said, "Although the DOJ proposed a fine and financial restitution to the victims' families, the families that I represent contend that it is more important for Boeing to be held accountable to the flying public."

In a separate statement, Cassell called the deal "unprecedented and obviously wrong for the deadliest corporate crime in U.S. history."

He noted that the families plan to object to the non-prosecution deal.

RELATED: Boeing burns billions, now begs for a $15 billion lifeline

The crash site of Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 on March 12, 2019 in Bishoftu, Ethiopia. Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images

"Nothing will diminish the victims' losses, but this resolution holds Boeing financially accountable, provides finality and compensation for the families, and makes an impact for the safety of future air travelers," the DOJ stated.

In July, the company agreed to plead guilty to conspiring to defraud the Federal Aviation Administration after it allegedly "deceived" the FAA's Aircraft Evaluation Group "about an important aircraft part called the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) that impacted the flight control system of the Boeing 737 MAX," according to the DOJ.

Cassell previously referred to the DOJ agreement as a "sweetheart plea deal" for Boeing.

Boeing did not respond to a request for comment from CNBC.

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Trump ousts Biden’s Democratic NTSB vice chair amid aviation crisis



President Donald Trump's administration recently removed the Democratic vice chair of the National Transportation Safety Board.

A White House official told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that Alvin Brown had been removed from the board.

'We're going to build a brand-new air traffic control system.'

Brown was appointed to the five-person safety panel by former President Joe Biden in December 2024, after the November presidential election and just weeks before Trump's inauguration.

An internet archive shows that Brown was removed from the NTSB's website sometime after May 1. The now-removed webpage stated that Brown had served as a board member since March 2024 and as a senior adviser for the Department of Transportation's Community Infrastructure Opportunities since August 2022. Brown served as the mayor of Jacksonville, Florida, from 2011 to 2015.

"Brown began his career as a senior member of the White House leadership team under President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore. As Vice President Al Gore's Senior Advisor for Urban Policy, and Vice Chair of the White House Community Empowerment Board, he advised President Clinton and Vice President Gore on a wide range of domestic issues, including community revitalization, job creation, new business development, and affordable housing," the website previously read. "As Executive Director of the White House Community Empowerment Board, Brown led the Administration's $4 billion community empowerment initiatives, including the Empowerment Zone/Enterprise Community programs."

The NTSB's website now lists only four members: Chairman Jennifer Homendy and members Michael Graham, Thomas Chapman, and J. Todd Inman.

Jeff Guzzetti, a former NTSB and Federal Aviation Administration investigator, told WBAL that he has never seen a president remove a board member. It is typical for members to remain on the board past their five-year term when an administration has not selected a replacement.

"That happens a lot over the years, but that's normal and expected because you served your term and now it's time for someone else to serve in there," Guzzetti said. "But this wasn't that. This was just more abrupt and directly from the administration, and I don't know what the impetus is."

While the White House did not provide a reason for Brown's termination, Trump has previously commented on independent agency's lack of oversight and slow aviation investigations, which may have influenced the recent NTSB shake-up.

In February, Trump signed an executive order to ensure more accountability within federal agencies.

A White House fact sheet detailed the "reining in" of several independent agencies. However, it did not specifically name the NTSB, an independent government agency tasked with investigating transportation accidents.

"So-called independent agencies like the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have exercised enormous power over the American people without Presidential oversight," it read.

Following the January aviation disaster at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport that resulted in the deaths of 67 people, Trump appeared to slam the federal government for historically slow investigations.

During a press briefing, he stated, "We do not know what led to this crash, but we have some very strong opinions and ideas, and I think we'll probably state those opinions now because, over the years, I've watched as things like this happen and they say, 'Well, we're always investigating.' And then the investigation, three years later, they announce it."

Earlier this week, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy told Fox News that the administration will "radically transform the way air traffic control looks."

"We're going to build a brand-new air traffic control system," he added.

Duffy stated that the Trump administration will unveil the details of its plans on Thursday.

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Delta passengers hold up collapsing ceiling mid-flight for more than 30 minutes



Passengers were forced to hold up a portion of a plane's ceiling after it collapsed during a flight from Atlanta to Chicago.

Delta Flight 2417 passengers were given an unfortunate task on April 14 when they were forced to hold up ceiling panels of the aircraft for what was described as 30 to 45 minutes.

Tom Witschy, a 35-year-old from Chicago, told People that during takeoff he and another passenger heard a sound they assumed was a "bag banging against the overhead bin."

However, shortly after takeoff, the sound became a loud banging noise before a "panel of the plane came off, crashing down, nearly hitting an older woman" who was seated in the row ahead of him. Witschy said the panel was hanging by a thread, so he grabbed the corner closest to him to prevent it from hitting his row of passengers as the plan was ascending.

"The men across from me and diagonally across did the same," the man told the outlet. The flight crew was unable to assist at the time due to the period of forced seating during the ascent.

'We kept holding it as they alerted the pilots and searched their inventory for tape.'

After 10 to 15 minutes, flight attendants eventually came to investigate, which led to passengers having to hold up the falling panel until a solution was found.

"We kept holding it as they alerted the pilots and searched their inventory for tape. This went on for another 30 minutes or so."

Images from the incident showed the extent of the damage, while a TikTok video from inside the plane emerged and showed several rows of passengers with their arms extended above their heads to hold the panel up.

The passenger claimed a missing screw or bolt was the likely reason for the dangling panel, and the eventual solution was provided by the passengers themselves.

"One of the flight attendants scoured the plane until a man ahead of us offered bright yellow scotch tape he happened to have, and that's what she and several other people used to tape it up."

A picture of the tape job with the caption "#reassuring" was provided by People.

Delta said in a statement that the company wanted to thank its customers for their "patience and cooperation."

"We apologize for the delay in their travels," Delta added.

The airline said the aircraft returned to Atlanta "due to cabin maintenance," and the flight continued after "about a two-hour delay on another aircraft."

Days earlier, Flight 1278 from Santa Ana, California, to Atlanta reportedly suffered a similar fate when a ceiling panel fell and allegedly hit a passenger.

"Delta has been in touch with our customer to express our apologies for this rare occurrence," the airline said at the time.

A few days prior to that incident, a different string of bad luck hit Delta passengers in Atlanta when nearly 300 people spent the night on the tarmac. As reported by Fox 5 Atlanta, passengers on two international Delta flights were diverted due to bad weather, with passengers spending the entire night on the planes.

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Why Are There So Many Aviation Accidents?

Recent aviation tragedies and near misses do not come as a surprise. The path to safety failure has been years in the making.