Packed Delta flight from LA to Shanghai forced to divert to Seattle because of 'disruptive passenger' who was causing chaos in skies

Published: 21:37, 18 May 2026 | Updated: 21:37, 18 May 2026 A packed Delta flight en route from Los Angeles to Shanghai was forced to land in Washington state after an unruly passenger caused a midair disturbance.  Delta Air Lines Flight 39 took off at 12.15pm on Sunday, but diverted to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport at 6.26pm, according to FlightAware. The Airbus A350-900 was off the coast of northwest Washington when it was forced to change route because of a noncompliant passenger.  A Delta Air Lines spokesperson told KOMO News the crew warned the passenger multiple times to follow rules and instructions, but they refused.  They added that the decision was made to land early 'for the safety of the aircraft and passenger.' Seattle Police Department officers met the plane at the gate and removed the passenger according to Delta. The airline could not confirm what unfolded after landing.  The flight was scheduled to depart for Shanghai again later that night, but it was ultimately canceled.  A packed Delta flight en route from Los Angeles to Shanghai was forced to land in Seattle due to an unruly passenger (file photo) The long-haul flight was rescheduled and departed on Monday at 11.10am without issue, per FlightAware data. The packed Airbus A350-900 had 271 passengers on board, according to Delta Air Lines. The flight was staffed by 11 flight attendants and four pilots.  'Delta has zero tolerance for unruly behavior, as the safety of our customers and crew always comes first,' a spokesperson told the Daily Mail. 'We appreciate our customers' patience and apologize for the delay in their travel.' The Daily Mail reached out to Port of Seattle Police for comment. According to Delta Air Lines, the Airbus A350-900 is 219 feet long, nearly 56 feet tall, and has a wingspan of 212 feet. The aircraft is powered by two turbofan engines and cruises at speeds of up to 552 mph. Delta Air Lines Flight 39 took off at 12.15pm on Sunday, but diverted to Seattle-Tacoma International airport at 6.26pm The aircraft was off the coast of northwest Washington before diverting because of a noncompliant passenger (file photo) The incident follows another involving a Delta Air Lines Airbus aircraft, when one of the plane’s engines erupted in flames during takeoff at a Brazilian airport last month.  Delta Flight DL 104 from Sao Paulo's Guarulhos International Airport was headed to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport with 272 passengers and 14 crew on Sunday when its left engine suffered a major mechanical issue. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.