A passenger accused of opening an emergency door on a JetBlue flight earlier this week has appeared in court, according to 7 News Boston. Angel Luis Morales Torres was apprehended by authorities following the alleged incident and appeared in court in Boston on January 8, 2025, one day later.
Torres has been charged with tampering with a flight after allegedly opening the aircraft door during JetBlue Flight 161’s taxiing for take-off at Boston Logan International Airport (BOS). This caused the emergency slide to deploy.
Torres was a passenger on a flight from Boston to San Juan’s Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU) in Puerto Rico when the incident occurred.
A passenger on the flight in question witnessed the incident and told 7 News Boston,
” [A] boyfriend and girlfriend were arguing just behind me, perhaps over a cellphone or something. [The] person became enraged, went down the center aisle, grabbed the emergency door, and ripped it off.”
Reflections from Torres’ defense lawyer
Torres had been in Boston for a few days to attend a friend’s Air Force Induction Ceremony. Torres’ defense attorney, Robert Carmel-Montes, remarked on the case, stating that his client had mental health concerns and experienced a psychotic episode on the flight. He went on to add:
“This is a very bad condition. I see it as a medical issue more than a criminal one, but it is clearly criminal as we speak. My client is profoundly ashamed and apologetic for the significant trouble he reportedly caused everyone on that aircraft.
Torres was released on $500 cash bail and returned to Puerto Rico shortly thereafter. He will need to return to Boston for court and is not able to travel in the interim.
Passengers believe that it was more than just a delay: “This was sending people out into the streets at night and asking them to fend for themselves with no solutions.”
JetBlue in San Juan
JetBlue is San Juan’s largest airline, with a 25% market share. The carrier is one of four airlines that fly between Boston and San Juan, competing with Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, and Spirit Airlines on the route. JetBlue runs three daily flights between the two destinations, using a combination of Airbus A220, A320, and A321neo aircraft.
Last year, Boston was the seventh-busiest destination from San Juan, with 314,000 passengers across all carriers, ahead of Tampa (TPA) with 253,000 and trailing Fort Lauderdale (FLL) with 331,000.
Meanwhile, JetBlue is the top airline in Boston, accounting for 27% of the market, ahead of Delta Air Lines (22%), and American Airlines (14%). Boston Logan International Airport is also one of the carrier’s two transatlantic hubs, operating flights to destinations such as:
- Dublin (DUB)
- Edinburgh (EDI) London Heathrow (LHR)
- London Gatwick (LGW), Madrid (MAD), and Paris (CDG).
Another occurrence for JetBlue.
JetBlue made headlines again earlier this week after the bodies of two passengers were discovered in the landing gear of one of the airline’s Airbus A320s. The plane had just landed at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) after flying from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).
The case is still under investigation. In a statement, JetBlue said,
Tragically, both persons died. The identity of the individuals, as well as the circumstances surrounding their access to the aircraft, are currently being investigated. This is a tragic circumstance, and we are dedicated to working collaboratively with authorities to help them understand what happened.”