American Airlines flight diverted to Raleigh-Durham airport due to disruptive passenger | CNN

CNN
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American Airlines flight 3444 was diverted to Raleigh-Durham International Airport Wednesday due to a disruptive passenger, according to the North Carolina airport.

“At approximately 3:41 p.m., flight AA 3444 departing Jacksonville to Washington, DC, diverted to RDU due to a disruptive passenger,” the airport said in a statement. “Upon landing, the plane was directed to gate C9 where law enforcement boarded the aircraft and took the suspect into custody.”

The Federal Aviation Administration said, “The Embraer E170 was flying from Jacksonville International Airport in Florida to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.”

The airline said in a statement that the diversion was “due to a security concern involving an unruly customer.”

According to the airport, the plane was cleared to resume its flight to Washington, DC, and RDU has returned to normal operations.

The FAA said it will investigate the incident.

The FBI said its Charlotte, North Carolina, office is investigating and “will consult with the US Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of North Carolina to determine if federal charges will be filed.”

Last year there were more than 2,300 reports of unruly passenger behavior, according to FAA statistics. Of those, 80 cases were referred to the FBI for criminal review.