San Francisco: On December 27, 2024, during United Airlines Flight 189 from San Francisco to Manila, a business class passenger allegedly urinated on a fellow traveler, leading to his permanent ban from the airline.
Approximately four hours into the 15-hour flight, Jerome Gutierrez, a resident of Hillsborough, California, was asleep in his seat when he awoke to find himself soaked from the stomach down.
“He was asleep and buckled in and was surprised when he looked at the man and thought he was dreaming,” Nicole Cornell, Gutierrez’s stepdaughter, told SFGATE in an email, and after the man had finished, “Jerome realized he was soaked from his stomach down in that man’s urine.
Cornell wrote that United flight attendants asked Gutierrez “not to approach the man in fear that there would be a confrontation, and he would become violent.” Cornell said that United provided Gutierrez with pajamas to wear after he was urinated on.
Flight attendants advised Gutierrez not to confront the individual to prevent potential escalation. Cornell criticized the airline’s handling of the situation, stating, “They put the needs of the airline before my stepdad’s health. I am so disgusted and in shock with how United Airlines handled this! That is a biohazard, and the plane should’ve turned around to address this issue.”
Upon arrival in Manila, United Airlines reported the incident to local authorities. The airline confirmed, “On December 28 we asked police to meet our flight when it arrived in Manila to address a passenger disturbance. We have banned this passenger.”
This incident is not isolated; similar occurrences have been reported in the past. In November 2022, a drunk man allegedly urinated on an elderly woman in the business class of an Air India flight. The accused was arrested, and the airline banned him from flying for 30 days.
United Airlines has faced other recent challenges, including the discovery of a body in the wheel well of a plane landing in Maui, originating from Chicago. The airline and local law enforcement are investigating the wheel well incident.
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![Washington, United States: A United Airlines flight bound for Guatemala City made an emergency diversion to Washington Dulles International Airport after a passenger allegedly attempted to open a cabin door at cruising altitude and assaulted another traveler, according to air traffic control communications and federal authorities. The incident involved United Airlines Flight 1551, operated by a Boeing 737 MAX 8, which departed from Newark Liberty International Airport on Thursday evening carrying 145 passengers and six crew members. The aircraft had been en route to Guatemala City when the crew declared an emergency and diverted to Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia. According to audio between the flight crew and air traffic controllers, the pilot informed controllers that the disruptive passenger attempted to open Door 2L while the aircraft was cruising at approximately 36,000 feet. The pilot also reported that the passenger later assaulted another individual onboard. During the exchange, the tower asked the crew which door the passenger had attempted to access. The pilot responded: “Door 2L at 36,000 feet and then [the passenger] assaulted a fellow passenger.” When controllers asked whether there were any injuries onboard, the pilot replied: “Not to our knowledge.” The aircraft landed safely at Washington Dulles at approximately 8:38 p.m. local time. Law enforcement and emergency personnel met the aircraft upon arrival. The FBI later confirmed that agents responded to the incident at the airport, although the agency did not immediately release additional details regarding the passenger’s identity, possible charges, or whether the individual was taken into federal custody. Flight tracking data showed the aircraft remained airborne for a period before diverting toward the Washington region instead of continuing south toward Guatemala. The diversion temporarily disrupted the scheduled international service but no injuries among passengers or crew were officially reported. United Airlines had not issued a detailed public statement at the time of publication regarding the circumstances surrounding the diversion or the status of the passenger involved. Federal authorities are expected to review crew reports, passenger statements, and onboard evidence as part of the investigation.](https://aviationtoday.in/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/AVIATION-TODAY-UNITEDV-AIRLINES-RUDE-PASSENGER-768x432.jpg)
