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Jordanian national arrested after boarding flight in Arizona with invalid ticket, prompting evacuation
By Anders Hagstrom
Published January 29, 2026
Authorities arrested a Jordanian national in Arizona after he boarded a flight with an invalid ticket on Sunday.
According to an affidavit obtained by Fox News Digital, Qais Ahmad Tillawi is being charged with interference with flight crew members and entering an airport area in violation of security requirements. Tillawi had gained entry to an international Air France flight despite having a canceled ticket and a flagged boarding pass.
Police say Tillawi abandoned his rental car at the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and threw two jackets into the trash before boarding the plane.
The affidavit says Tillawi was acting erratically while on the plane and alarmed the other passengers. Authorities say he refused to take his seat and began pacing the plane, which eventually had to be evacuated.
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An Air France plane departs from George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in Houston, Texas, on December 29, 2025. (Photo by Reginald Mathalone/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Tillawi had previously been committed to a mental hospital after a prior airport arrest.
"While Tillawi was in the boarding area, an Air France passenger reported to an Air France employee that Tillawi was acting suspicious," the affidavit reads.
The plane's captain ordered Tillawi to leave the plane, but he refused, instead typing a message on his phone that read, "Send the USA marshal."
Read the Affidavit below (App users click here)
Phoenix police were called and soon responded to the scene. Tillawi was the last person to leave the plane.
The affidavit noted that Tillawi had been detained at the Dubai Airport in 2024 after similar erratic behavior. He was temporarily committed to a mental institution following the incident.
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A plane takes off from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) during a heatwave in Phoenix, Arizona. (Ash Ponders/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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Police who interviewed him at the Phoenix airport said he refused to give his name or speak at all, instead using his phone to type messages. Authorities called his brother living in Jordan, who said Tillawi speaks fluent English and had attended Arizona State University.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/jordanian-national-arrested-after-boarding-flight-arizona-invalid-ticket-prompting-evacuation