On Tuesday evening, United flight 1169 took off from Daniel K Inouye International Airport for Los Angeles International Airport. Post-flight data from FlightAware reveals that the plane turned back, heading east towards Hawaii.
United released a statement with limited information, confirming all 339 passengers and 10 crew members returned safely to Honolulu where they were rebooked onto later flights.
A United spokesperson stated, “United flight 1169 from Honolulu to Los Angeles safely returned to Honolulu following an alert about a potential security issue discovered on a lavatory mirror. Law enforcement greeted the plane, and a security inspection was conducted.”
Hawaiian Airlines flight 15 was due to depart for San Diego at around 8.30am Tuesday but was delayed due to a bomb threat. Harbor police announced the arrest of 35-year-old military member John Stea in connection with the threat.
FlightAware data indicates all 293 passengers were safely disembarked and the flight arrived in Honolulu after a total delay of five hours.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/21/hawaii-california-planes