United Airlines flight turns around after pilot forgets passport
What's the story
A United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Shanghai was delayed by about six hours after a pilot forgot his passport, CNN reported. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, with 257 passengers and 13 crew onboard, left LAX at around 2:00pm on Saturday. About two hours into the flight, it had to turn back and land in San Francisco at about 5:00pm local time.
Official response
United Airlines issued a statement on the incident
United Airlines confirmed the incident, saying, "The pilot did not have their passport onboard." The airline said it arranged a new crew to continue the journey and offered meal vouchers and compensation to affected customers. The rescheduled flight with the new crew departed at around 9:00pm and arrived in Shanghai after about six hours of delay.
Mixed reactions
Passengers react to the delay
Chinese passenger Yang Shuhan told CNN that she heard the pilot's frustrated voice over the intercom, who admitted he "forgot (his) passport." She was given two meal vouchers totaling $30, which she spent at an airport restaurant. Despite being exhausted after the long journey and a late arrival in Shanghai, she appreciated the pilot's honesty. However, many of her fellow passengers took to RedNote, China's Instagram-like platform, to express their outrage.
Ripple effect
Other flights also affected by the delay
The delay of UA 198 also affected passengers on its return flight, UA 199 from Shanghai to Los Angeles. An anonymous Shanghai-based business traveler told CNN that their LA-bound flight got delayed for about six hours due to the late arrival of the inbound aircraft. They had to reschedule their plans for Monday. United Airlines is one of the world's largest carriers, transporting 140 million people to over 300 locations across six continents each year, according to the company's website