Overview
- Qais Ahmad Tillawi allegedly cleared TSA and entered the sterile area at Phoenix Sky Harbor on Jan. 25 despite an Air France ticket canceled minutes earlier for an unauthorized credit card.
- He was allowed down the jet bridge after the gate system flagged his pass and a customer service representative could not find his name on a passenger list, according to the affidavit.
- Once aboard Flight 69 to Paris, Tillawi paced the cabin, refused crew instructions, declined to identify himself, and typed “Send the USA marshal,” leading the captain to order an evacuation and Phoenix police to remove him.
- Court records show he was arrested and charged with interfering with flight crew and entering an aircraft or airport area in violation of security requirements as the FBI took over the investigation.
- Agents say he carried about 20 credit cards, multiple driver’s licenses, U.S. and Jordanian passports, a Jordanian military service book, and apparent fake employer badges, with the affidavit also citing family-reported prior mental health treatment and a 2024 detention in Dubai.