UPDATE: 4:53 p.m.
Police reported that the trouble began almost immediately after takeoff when passenger Jeremiah Mathis Thede demanded to be given either "nuts or crackers." He was given some nuts but soon asked for more, and allegedly the situation escalated to the point where the pilot, concerned about Thede's erratic behavior, was forced to make an emergency landing.
Passengers on board the plane, according to WGNtv, stated that Thede was unruly way before the "nuts incident." It is unclear whether or not this means he was acting this way before takeoff or if they mean he was like that before entering the plane itself.
Despite his clear lack of decorum, Thede's lawyer said that his client denies any wrongdoing.
Nearly 300 passengers onboard a United Airlines flight traveling from Rome to Chicago had to spend the night on the floors at the Belfast International Airport after the flight was diverted in order to unload a disruptive passenger late Saturday, reported MSNBC.
The drama unfolded as the aircraft was above northwest Scotland on Saturday afternoon. That's when the decision was made to make the unexpected stop to remove the unruly flier, according to the Belfast Telegraph.
In Belfast, the unruly passenger — a 42-year-old man with dual American-Italian citzenship — was escorted off the airplane and placed under arrest. He is being charged with disruptive behavior on an aircraft and common assault, according to the Huffington Post.
After the passenger's removal, the aircraft refueled. However, by that time, the crew had reached the FAA working hour limit, forcing the 269 passengers and 14 crew members to wait until the following day to resume their journey.
Making matters worse, there were not enough hotel rooms available in town, leaving passengers with no choice but to sleep at the airport itself. Officials distributed water and blankets to the stranded people, many of whom wound up sleeping on the floor.
"We understand the inconvenience this causes our customers and will refund their Rome to Chicago flight as well as offer the choice of a travel certificate or miles for our MileagePlus loyalty program," said United Airlines in a statement.
In a separate incident last week, passengers onboard a United Airlines flight en route to London from Chicago were forced to sleep in a freezing military barracks after the plane made an emergency landing at a Canadian military base due to maintenance issues.
Update by Jelani James
