United Airlines recently hit the headlines following a bizarre turn of events that led to a Boeing 787 en route to China making a U-turn over the Pacific Ocean. The diversion occurred because one of the pilots had reportedly forgotten their passport.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace I Simple Flying
The incident took place on March 22nd, 2025, onboard United Airlines Flight 198 from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG). Around one hour and 45 minutes into the flight, one of the four pilots realized that they did not have their passport with them. Out over the Pacific Ocean, with few other options, the decision was made to divert to San Francisco International Airport (SFO), which was one of the closest airports at the time, and also a major transpacific hub for United Airlines.
By the time the aircraft touched down in San Francisco, the entire crew had gone out of hours to operate the remainder of the flight across the Pacific, and were all replaced. As reported by One Mile At A Time, United Airlines issued the following message to passengers during the incident:
“UA198 SFO-PVG: Your flight diverted to San Francisco due to an unexpected crew-related issue requiring a new crew. Once they arrive, we’ll get you back on your way to Shanghai as soon as possible. We sincerely apologize for this disruption and appreciate your patience.”
Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock
Passengers were also reportedly issued with a $15 refreshment voucher to compensate for the delay. The flight eventually departed again from San Francisco International Airport at 21:01, touching down safely at Shanghai Pudong International Airport at 00:49 the following day. However, many passengers were, understandably, not happy, with some taking to social media to vent their frustrations. One X user, Paramjot Singh Kalra, said,
With the onboard crew due to spend time in Shanghai on a layover before operating back to Los Angeles, they would have needed their passports in order to formally enter China. In another statement published by CNN, United Airlines acknowledged the incident publicly, saying,
“The pilot did not have their passport onboard. We arranged for a new crew to take our customers to their destination that evening. Customers were provided with meal vouchers and compensation.”
An embarrassing and costly mistake
As well as causing some major operational disruption and negative press, the United Airlines diversion likely cost the carrier a significant amount of money, too. Diversion costs can vary depending on various factors, including the length of the diversion, the subsequent operational disruption, and the number of passengers affected.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace I Simple Flying
For example, as stated by The Points Guy, an infamous incident involving a disruptive passenger onboard one of Hawaiian Airlines’ Airbus A330-200s meant that the aircraft had to return to its departure point. With more than 300 passengers to look after and accommodate on other flights, the diversion reportedly ended up costing Hawaiian Airlines around $150,000, of which around $47,000 reportedly went on keeping passengers fed and hydrated.
Meanwhile, EUROCONTROL calculates that the average cost of a flight diversion can be as high as $83,000, depending on the length of the flight. The average diversion costs are shown in the table below:
Flight length
Average diversion cost
Domestic flights
$1,075 – $7,525
Regional flights
$1,500 – $11,200
Intercontinental flights
$7,525 – $83,000
Photo: Kevin Hackert | Shutterstock
United Airlines has a reputation for looking after its passengers when things go wrong. For example, during the recent disruption at London Heathrow Airport (LHR) when the facility was closed due to a power outage, the carrier took to X to reassure passengers, saying:
More flights between Los Angeles and Shanghai
United Airlines Flight 198 is a regularly scheduled service between Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG). The carrier is one of two airlines currently operating this route, going head-to-head with China Eastern Airlines. In June 2025, Delta Air Lines will also commence services between the two airports.
United Airlines’ services between Los Angeles and Shanghai operate on a daily basis as per the following schedule:
Flight number
Route
Departure
Arrival
UA198
Los Angeles (LAX) – Shanghai (PVG)
12:40
17:25 (+1 day)
UA199
Shanghai (PVG) – Los Angeles (LAX)
20:10
16:55
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying
Although United Airlines’ primary transpacific hub is at San Francisco International Airport, the Star Alliance carrier also operates a growing transpacific route network from Los Angeles International Airport, which includes routes to:
Hong Kong International Airport (HKG)
Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG)
Sydney Airport (SYD)
Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND)
Tokyo Narita Airport (NRT).
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In May 2025, United Airlines is due to add another Chinese destination to its route network from Los Angeles International Airport, when it resumes flying to Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK). Air China also operates this route. Curiously, United Airlines does not operate to either of the two busiest transpacific destinations from Los Angeles International Airport – Seoul Incheon International Airport (ICN) and Taipei Taoyuan International Airport (TPE). Last year, both routes saw in excess of one million passengers, with the five busiest international routes from the airport being as follows:
Route
Number of passengers
Airline(s)
Los Angeles (LAX) – London Heathrow (LHR)
1,640,000
American Airlines, British Airways, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic
Los Angeles (LAX) – Seoul Incheon (ICN)
1,236,000
Air Premia, Asiana Airlines, Korean Air
Los Angeles (LAX) – Guadalajara (GDL)
1,143,000
Aeromexico, Alaska Airlines, VivaAerobus, Volaris
Los Angeles (LAX) – Taipei (TPE)
1,107,000
China Airlines, EVA Air, Starlux Airlines
Los Angeles (LAX) – Tokyo Haneda (HND)
1,046,000
All Nippon Airways, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Japan Airlines, United Airlines
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United Airlines and the Boeing 787-9
The Boeing 787-9 involved in the diversion was registered as N35953. The latest data from ch-aviation shows that the aircraft was delivered new to United Airlines in March 2015. In October 2022, the aircraft was later refurbished to include the carrier’s premium economy cabin, giving it a total capacity of up to 257 passengers – 48 in business class, 21 in premium economy, and 188 in economy class.
Photo: Kevin Hackert | Shutterstock
N35953 is one of 43 Boeing 787-9s in United Airlines’ fleet. The carrier operates more than 1,000 aircraft in total, making it the world’s largest airline by fleet size. This includes the following aircraft:
Airbus A319 x 81
Airbus A320 x 78
Airbus A321neo x 33
Boeing 737-700 x 40
Boeing 737-800 x 141
Boeing 737-900 x 12
Boeing 737-900ER x 136
Boeing 737 MAX 8 x 116
Boeing 737 MAX 9 x 92
Boeing 757-200 x 40
Boeing 757-300 x 21
Boeing 767-300ER x 37
Boeing 767-400ER x 16
Boeing 777-200 x 19
Boeing 777-200ER x 55
Boeing 777-300ER x 22
Boeing 787-8 x 12
Boeing 787-9 x 43
Boeing 787-10 x 21.
United Airlines’ fleet is also due to grow substantially over the coming years, with more than 600 aircraft currently on order. This includes 97 Airbus A321neos, 50 Airbus A321XLRs, 131 Boeing 737 MAX 9s, 167 Boeing 737 MAX 10s, and 145 Boeing 787s (split across the type’s three variants). That said, not all of these deliveries will be used to expand the fleet – some will be used to replace the carrier’s older aircraft.
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Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 shows that N35953, the Boeing 787-9 involved in the recent diversion, has since operated a wide variety of sectors, highlighting the versatility of the modern aircraft. The flights include:
Flight number
From
To
UA3919
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
UA990
San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG)
UA914
Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG)
Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)
UA8125
Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
UA839
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
Sydney Airport (SYD)
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