Delta: ‘Unruly’ passenger taken into custody; didn’t try to breach cockpit

HOUSTON (KFDM) — An unruly passenger on Delta Airlines was taken into custody on Wednesday, with officials clarifying the man did not try to breach the cabin as earlier reported.

The Houston Police Department said they responded to Hobby Airport after a reported disturbance at around 5:30 a.m. involving a passenger on the flight bound for Atlanta.

Police added that the aircraft had taken off, quickly turned around, and came back to the airport. The Boeing 717 was carrying 85 passengers and five crew members.

A Delta spokesperson described the incident as a customer exhibiting “unruly and unlawful behavior toward other customers.” Delta confirmed the customer approached crew members and other passengers but did not make contact with or attempt to access the flight deck.

Delta said the flight declared an emergency and landed safely before being met by law enforcement. According to the airline, the flight later took off again for Atlanta about 90 minutes behind schedule.

“The safety of our customers and crew is paramount, and Delta has zero tolerance for unruly behavior,” the airline said in a statement. “We apologize to our customers for this experience and delay in their travels.”

The Federal Aviation Administration said it will investigate.