Authorities made an arrest on Sunday involving a Jordanian man who boarded a plane in Arizona despite having an invalid ticket.
Qais Ahmad Tirawi faces charges for interfering with the flight crew and violating airport safety regulations, as detailed in an affidavit. He managed to board an Air France international flight even though his ticket was canceled and his boarding pass was marked as problematic.
According to police reports, Tirawi returned a rental car at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and disposed of two jackets in a trash can before proceeding to board the flight.
Once on the plane, he displayed erratic behavior that caused alarm among other passengers. Officials noted that he refused to sit down and attempted to adjust the aircraft’s speed, which ultimately led to the decision to evacuate the plane.
Tirawi had previously been admitted to a psychiatric facility following an earlier arrest at the airport.
“While Tiraoui was in the boarding area, an Air France passenger alerted an employee about his suspicious behavior,” the affidavit explains.
The flight’s captain instructed Tirawi to leave the aircraft, but he declined, instead sending a message from his phone that read: “Send US Marshal.”
Phoenix police were notified and swiftly arrived at the scene; Tirawi exited the aircraft as the last passenger. The affidavit further mentions that in 2024, he had been detained at Dubai Airport for similar erratic conduct and had spent time in a psychiatric hospital afterwards.
Authorities did attempt to engage with Tirawi at the airport, but he refused to provide his name or speak, opting instead to communicate through typed messages. His brother, living in Jordan, was contacted and mentioned that he was fluent in English and had attended Arizona State University.
