Particle.news
Download on the App Store
14 ARTICLES
·
last wk.

Omaha-to-Detroit Flight Diverted After Passenger Tries to Open Exit Door

The incident underscores the FAA’s push for stricter enforcement of passenger conduct rules on exit-row seating.

Image
Image
SkyWest Flight Diverted

Overview

  • On July 17, a 23-year-old passenger on Delta Connection Flight 3612 wrestled with a flight attendant and tried to open an emergency exit door mid-air.
  • Pilots diverted the SkyWest-operated jet to Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids, where local police arrested Mario Nikprelaj upon landing.
  • Nikprelaj is held in Linn County Correctional Center on charges of disorderly conduct, assault, unlawful possession of prescription medication, tax stamp violation and first-degree harassment with more counts under review.
  • After the disturbance was resolved, the aircraft departed Cedar Rapids and resumed its flight to Detroit without further incident.
  • SkyWest Airlines maintains a zero-tolerance policy for unruly behavior as FAA data show over 870 reports of disruptive passengers on U.S. flights so far in 2025.