Flight evacuated after ‘suspicious’ passenger — previously arrested at airport — boards plane using canceled ticket

A “suspicious” Jordanian national was somehow able to board an international flight in Arizona despite having a canceled ticket and a flagged boarding pass — with the plane forced to evacuate when he started pacing the aircraft and refusing to take his seat, authorities said.

Qais Ahmad Tillawi cleared TSA and boarded Sunday’s 3:50 p.m. Air France flight to Paris despite his ticket, which he bought less than two hours before takeoff, being canceled over an “unauthorized credit card,” according to an FBI affidavit.

Tillawi — who had previously been committed to a mental hospital after an earlier airport arrest — abandoned his rental car on the way to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, and also tossed two jackets into a trash can, the affidavit said.
An Air France passenger was able to board an international flight with a canceled ticket.AP
The one-time Arizona State University student was able to get a boarding pass before his ticket was canceled, and then alarmed other passengers with his bizarre behavior, the docs said.

“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.

His boarding pass had been tagged and set off an alert at the gate.

But he was still somehow allowed on the plane despite refusing to hand over his passport to a customer service rep, only showing it from a distance and then thrusting it up close to her face, the affidavit said.

The Air France rep later admitted that she only checked one of multiple passenger lists — and did not see Tillawi’s name on it.

Still, Tillawi walked down the jet bridge and boarded the aircraft — and then refused to take his seat, instead pacing around the aircraft while refusing to give his name, the document said.

When he refused the captain’s orders to get off, he typed out a message on his phone allegedly reading, “Send the USA marshal.”

Phoenix cops were scrambled, and the flight evacuated, with Tillawi the last to be taken off.

Under questioning, he refused to speak, instead showing responding officers the same typed message on his phone requesting the marshals.

He described himself as a “citizen of the world” with “access to financial services,” and explained that he had refused to sit because his assigned seat felt “suspicious and wrong,” but refused to explain why, according to the affidavit.

Two FBI agents called Tillawi’s brother in Jordan, who said his brother had attended Arizona State University and spoke fluent English.

Start your day with all you need to know

Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.

Enter your email address

By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

The suspect was fired from his job at PricewaterhouseCoopers in mid-2024, and had struggled with addiction to marijuana, mushrooms and sleeping pills, while also being diagnosed with psychosis, according to the affidavit.

He was also detained at Dubai Airport in 2024 for acting suspiciously and refusing to speak to law enforcement, and was temporarily committed to a hospital there for mental treatment.

Tillawi had mostly stopped speaking to his family and traveled frequently between the US and the Middle East, living out of hotels despite remaining unemployed.

When he was arrested in Phoenix, he had around 20 credit cards, seven driver’s licenses, multiple passports, fake employment ID badges, and over $1,000 in cash.

He told arresting officers he was flying to Paris to go shopping, and that he had thrown away his jackets because he was going to buy a new one.

53

What do you think? Post a comment.

Tillawi was charged with interference with flight crew members, a federal felony, and entering a secure aiport area in violation of security requirements, a misdemeanor.

Air France did not respond immediately to requests for comment.