An aircraft bound for Toronto returned to Los Angeles with two F-16 fighter jets last night after a passenger created a disturbance on board, FBI and airline officials said.
Air Canada Flight 792, a Boeing 767 with about 145 people aboard, landed safely at Los Angeles International Airport at about 1.40 p.m. local time (21.40 Irish time). The passenger, whose name was not released, was taken into FBI custody.
"This was a passenger who had apparently been smoking and when he was asked to put out the cigarette an argument ensued and he became rather unruly," an Air Canada spokesman said.
"At that point the passenger was subdued and the pilot elected to return to LAX as a precautionary measure," he said.
The incident comes as the United States set new airline security measures that include armed air marshals aboard planes and better security for cockpits.