6 days ago
SkyWest Airlines flight from Omaha to Detroit diverted to Cedar Rapids due to "unruly passenger"
A flight from Omaha to Detroit was diverted to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Thursday night because of an "unruly passenger," according to police.
SkyWest Flight 3612 departed Omaha's Eppley Airfield Thursday and was diverted to the Eastern Iowa Airport because of an "in-air disturbance" by a passenger.
Police met the flight at around 6:13 p.m. local time and arrested the passenger, 23-year-old Mario Nikprelaj, of Nebraska.
SkyWest, which was operating as a Delta connection for the flight, said it has a zero-tolerance policy for unruly behavior.
"SkyWest has zero tolerance for unruly behavior as safety for our customers and crew is our top priority," SkyWest said in a statement.
Nikprelaj is lodged in the Linn County Correctional Center on charges of disorderly conduct, assault, possession of prescription medication, tax stamp and first-degree harassment. The charges are pending an investigation.
The FAA says that since the start of 2025, there have been at least 870 reports of unruly passengers on flights.
