boeing 787 9 diverted to lax

As of September 24, 2026, there are two recent notable incidents involving Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners diverting or returning to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX):

American Airlines Flight 167 (September 23–24, 2026)

• Incident: American Airlines Flight 167, a Boeing 787-9 en route from New York (JFK) to Tokyo (HND), diverted to LAX after a technical malfunction was identified near the Arctic Circle.
• Details: The aircraft had been airborne for more than 10 hours before the crew decided to turn back to the continental United States. Despite closer options like Vancouver or Seattle, the airline chose LAX as the diversion point to better accommodate passengers and facilitate necessary maintenance. The flight landed safely at LAX shortly after 5:00 p.m. PDT on September 23. Passengers were scheduled to resume their journey on September 24.

United Airlines Flight 2127 (March 2, 2026)

• Incident: A United Airlines Boeing 787-9 (Flight 2127) bound for Newark made an emergency return landing at LAX shortly after takeoff due to a left engine issue.
• Details: The flight departed around 10:15 a.m. and returned within an hour after smoke was observed coming from the engine. Fire crews met the aircraft on the runway, and passengers were evacuated via slides. No serious injuries were reported among the 256 passengers and 12 crew members. The incident prompted a temporary ground stop at LAX.

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Note: In July 2025, there was also a reported incident involving a Hawaiian Airlines Boeing 787-9 (Flight HA1) that returned to LAX twice due to mechanical issues, ultimately resulting in the flight's cancellation.