A Cape Air flight was forced to return to Nantucket, Massachusetts, on Monday shortly after takeoff when part of its cabin door opened in midair.

The small plane had just departed from Nantucket Memorial Airport (ACK) and was on its way to Boston when the issue occurred, according to news outlet Nantucket Current.

An Instagram video recorded by a passenger on board shows the upper section of the main cabin door partially opening mid-flight — with plenty of commenters immediately weighing in on the incident. 

FLIGHT ATTENDANT’S COSTLY ERROR LEADS TO GROUNDING OF DELTA FLIGHT, LONG PASSENGER DELAYS

Despite what happened, the aircraft remained stable and continued to operate normally.

Fox News Digital reached out to Cape Air for comment about the incident. 

A Cape Air flight bound for Boston (not pictured) had to turn back to Nantucket shortly after takeoff when a portion of its cabin door opened during the flight. (Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto/Getty Images)

The pilot turned the plane around and landed back in Nantucket, without any reported injuries, the outlet noted.

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Passengers were later transferred to another aircraft to complete their trip to Boston, with several praising the pilot for remaining calm under pressure.

“The pilot was amazing,” a passenger told the Current. “The pilot did not panic but safely brought us back around the island to land. Probably flew for about 6 to 8 minutes with the door open.”

The pilot in the incident described aboard a Cape Air flight (not pictured) reversed course and safely landed back in Nantucke. No injuries were reported. (iStock)

The airline confirmed the incident to the local outlet. 

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“The aircraft was at a stable altitude and operated normally. The flight crew returned to ACK, and the aircraft landed safely without further incident,” the airline’s statement said.

That particular  aircraft has since been taken out of service as the company investigates what caused the issue.

The aircraft in question (not pictured) has been removed from service while the cause of the issue is being investigated, the company said.  (Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto/Getty Images)

“We are following all established safety procedures and will take any necessary actions based on our findings,” the company said — adding that passenger safety remains its top priority.

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Users commented on the video the passenger posted — with many striking a lighter note about the situation.

“Isn’t it a little cold for the window to be open at this time of the year?” one user wrote.

Another user commented, “A little fresh air can’t hurt.”

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Fox News Digital previously reported on another airline situation that caused disruptions.

A Delta flight at Pittsburgh International was left waiting on the tarmac after a flight attendant accidentally deployed the aircraft’s emergency slide — delaying passengers onboard.

The mistake required maintenance crews to remove the slide before passengers could safely exit. Such incidents can cause airlines tens of thousands of dollars.

Khloe Quill of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., is demanding that the Transportation Security Administration reintroduce its controversial policy requiring travelers to take off their shoes before going through airport security checkpoints.

Duckworth called on the TSA to immediately reverse its move to end the “shoes-off” policy, calling former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s decision last summer to scrap the policy a “reckless act” that may put travelers at risk.

“Secretary Noem’s decision to implement a shoes on policy on July 8, 2025, likely without meaningful consultation with TSA, was a reckless act,” Duckworth wrote in a letter to Acting TSA Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill.

“Allowing a potentially catastrophic security deficiency to remain in place for seven months and counting betrays TSA’s mission,” she added. “At a minimum, TSA’s failure to swiftly implement corrective action warrants the immediate withdrawal of Secretary Noem’s reckless and dangerous policy that increases the risk of a terrorist smuggling a dangerous item onto a flight.”

NEARLY 20-YEAR SHOE-OFF AIRPORT SECURITY POLICE IS ENDED BY TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

Sen. Tammy Duckworth demanded that the TSA bring back its policy requiring travelers to take off their shoes to go through security checkpoints at airports. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

This comes after a classified watchdog report found that TSA scanners cannot effectively screen shoes, according to CBS News. Duckworth said the inspector general flagged the issue as urgent to Noem but that no action was taken.

Duckworth said that the inspector general found that Noem’s policy shift had “inadvertently created a new security vulnerability in the system.”

The former secretary’s failure to take corrective action after the report’s findings was “outrageous, unacceptable and dangerous to the flying public,” Duckworth said.

The senator argues that TSA’s lack of response may violate federal law, writing that the agency missed a legally required 90-day deadline to outline corrective actions after receiving the watchdog’s report.

“Such inaction violates Federal law, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance and DHS’s own directives,” Duckworth wrote.

FLIGHT PASSENGERS SLAM AIRLINES FOR PUSHING EARLY BAG CHECKS EVEN WITH EMPTY BINS ON BOARD

Sen. Tammy Duckworth called former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s decision last summer to scrap the policy a “reckless act” that may put travelers at risk. (Rebecca Blackwell / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)

The previous policy requiring passengers to take off their shoes during TSA screening was implemented in 2006.

The senator wrote that Noem’s policy change reflected a “willingness to gamble the American people’s security,” calling it a “stunning failure of leadership.”

“We expect this change will drastically decrease passenger wait times at our TSA checkpoints, leading to a more pleasant and efficient passenger experience,” she said at the time. “As always, security remains our top priority. Thanks to our cutting-edge technological advancements and multi-layered security approach, we are confident we can implement this change while maintaining the highest security standards.”

Duckworth accused Noem, who was removed by President Donald Trump last month and replaced by current DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, of prioritizing politics over security.

The previous policy requiring passengers to take off their shoes to go through TSA screening was implemented in 2006. (iStock)

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The senator wrote that Noem’s policy change reflected a “willingness to gamble the American people’s security,” calling it a “stunning failure of leadership.”

“Secretary Noem’s willingness to gamble the American people’s security in an unsuccessful attempt to boost her popularity was, and remains, a stunning failure of leadership—particularly following President Trump’s decision to launch an unconstitutional war of choice against Iran that DHS has determined, “is causing a heightened threat environment in the United States,” she wrote.

Neither party escaped travelers’ ire as some estimated they had to walk miles to reach the back of the security line and wait several hours to catch their flights at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport. 

Fox News Digital asked travelers waiting in line at Bush who they believed was to blame for the massive wait times. One traveler named Tim simply responded: “The politicians.”

On Thursday, lines at Bush snaked through check-in, baggage claim, out the doors and through underground subway tunnels. One traveler, who did not share his name, estimated that he and his family had to walk two miles to reach the back of the line.

While many arrived several hours ahead of their scheduled departure times, those who did not could be seen frantically searching for terminals with smaller lines.

When it comes to who bears the blame, another traveler, who did not identify herself, answered: “All congressmen.”

“All of them, regardless of their party,” she added. “They just need to do their jobs.”

Another, named Lancet, singled out the Democrats, who have demanded reinstating funding for the Department of Homeland Security contingent on broad reforms to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol.

“I mean, honestly, look, the Democrats are not voting on the DHS being reinstated. And they’re the ones who pay for TSA from what I know,” said Lancet. “So, without paying the people, they obviously can’t work.”

Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport has been among the airports most heavily impacted by the partial government shutdown, which has led to TSA agents missing paychecks for more than 40 days.

Nearly 500 TSA agents have quit, and as of Friday, the agency has missed out on $1 billion in pay.

The partial shutdown was caused by disagreements in Congress over ICE and Border Patrol’s enforcement of immigration law in cities across the US, with Democrats making funding contingent on major changes in tactics and policy.

Late Thursday night, the Senate passed a bill to fund most of DHS, including TSA, but it is not final. The House still needs to approve the measure and send it to the president before funding resumes and workers are paid.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday directing federal officials to ensure TSA employees are paid, calling the ongoing shutdown an “emergency,” 

One traveler named Kevin, who was waiting in a security line in an underground subway corridor with hardly functioning air conditioning, did not hold back.

“Anybody who votes for a Democrat after this should be shipped out of the country,” said Kevin. “This is a Democrat mess.”

At the front of the same line, which stretched halfway across the airport’s subway corridor, a traveler named April answered, “I have no idea to be honest with you, but also the construction doesn’t help either.”

“Having to go to Terminal A and Terminal E and going back and forth, yeah, it’s not been great,” she added.

One traveler named Maria, who despite the line bore a large smile and a chipper attitude, told Fox News Digital, “You know what? I would only blame myself for not getting to the airport sooner.”

“I’ve been flying for many, many years, so I know. Got to get to the airports soon, guys. Get your Subway, get your Starbucks, and get to airports,” she quipped, smiling.

“I don’t know, man, I don’t get political about these things,” answered a traveler named Pinal. “It is what it is, and we all are just going through the motions right now.”

“There’s a lot of people to blame,” said a woman who did not identify herself. “But at least I think the important part is everybody’s working together to try to be as efficient as possible. I got here at 10, and my flight is at 1:30, so I got there in enough time, hopefully.”

“It’s just the division,” remarked a young man named Nick. “Everybody should be unified, working together, instead of just picking teams, fighting against each other, you know?” 

“People rather be on a team than rather just focus on a solution,” Nick continued. “If we could just focus more on the problem and working together rather than focusing on the differences, I think that would be a major change. But it’s tough, man.”

President Donald Trump said he will sign an executive order to address airport disruptions, announcing the move in a Truth Social post Thursday that framed the situation as a national emergency.

“Because the Democrats have recklessly created a true National Crisis, I am using my authorities under the Law to protect our Great Country,” Trump wrote. “Therefore, I am going to sign an Order … to immediately pay our TSA Agents in order to address this Emergency Situation.”

WHY SOME US AIRPORTS ARE DODGING TSA SHUTDOWN CHAOS WHILE OTHERS GRIND TO A HALT

President Donald Trump looks on as newly sworn-in Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin speaks in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, in Washington, D.C. (Jim Watson / AFP via Getty Images)

The move comes as a 41-day partial government shutdown has disrupted the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), causing long lines at airports nationwide amid a standoff over DHS funding and immigration enforcement.

Trump accused Democrats of “refusing to fund Immigration Enforcement” and creating “Chaos at the Airports,” while thanking TSA agents for their work.

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The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

This is a developing story, check back later for updates.

For weeks now, frustrated travelers trying to catch flights all over the United States have been caught in hours-long security-check lines as overwhelmed Transportation Security Administration agents were forced to work without pay.

It’s not the first time that federal funding for TSA — a highly visible service that impacts millions of Americans daily — has been caught up in a political brawl in Congress, this time over immigration enforcement.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

In fact, it never should have happened, not even once.

That’s because taxpayers and travelers already pay for transportation security, not through their taxes but through their plane tickets.

The federally mandated Passenger Security Fee, first levied after the 9/11 terrorist attacks to help fund TSA screening activities, has more than doubled since its inception.

Today, it adds an $11.20 charge to every round-trip ticket purchase — more than $4.5 billion in 2025 alone.

The fee is one of multiple government-mandated add-on charges, including a ticket excise tax, flight segment fees and passenger facility charges, that add taxes of 15% to 30% on every airline ticket you buy.

And while the lion’s share of Passenger Security Fee revenue was supposed to stay with TSA, Congress has chosen to divert much of it to feed an already fattened hyena.

Bipartisan Budget Acts passed in 2013 and 2018 funneled huge chunks of Passenger Security Fee proceeds away from TSA and into the Treasury’s general fund, where it can be spent in any way government officials want.

Congress deceptively portrayed that decision as a matter of “deficit reduction,” but we can see how well that’s worked.

If these resources had remained with TSA where they belonged, the agency could have built up an emergency fund to help tide these essential workers over during government shutdowns.

Or maybe the cash could have enabled technology investments to speed passengers through checkpoints all year round.

Airlines would be on solid moral, if not legal, ground to pull out of this charade and simply stop collecting the Passenger Security Fee.

They are not responsible for this mess: The blame belongs at the big, bloated feet of our federal government.

To do right by taxpayers, who are now literally paying $11.20 apiece to wait in line, Congress and President Donald Trump have four choices.

First, they can stop squandering Passenger Security Fee revenues on unrelated federal programs.

This means repealing the provisions from the 2013 and 2018 laws that allow these shenanigans, requiring the funds to be directly spent on TSA operations and investments and capping the fee so taxpaying travelers aren’t gouged for government services.

The only permissible diversion of any collections should be a small share for TSA’s Inspector General, which should oversee fee collections and ensure TSA uses the funding properly.

Another option is to turn over passenger security to airports and other private entities.

Private security contracts, overseen by government regulators, are commonplace in many countries — and are already used at some US airports.

TSA has frequently embarrassed itself with security lapses, poor equipment choices and the padded personnel budgets that often accompany slapdash federal agency expansions.

Alternatively, Congress could repeal the Passenger Security Fee entirely and fund the forward-facing portion of TSA’s responsibilities only through general revenues.

That would at least give taxpaying travelers a break on ticket prices.

One final option: Congress could fulfill its 2013 and 2018 claims.

Change the name to the “Special Deficit Reduction Fee” and require the revenue to go directly to the Bureau of the Fiscal Service, to trim down the $39 trillion in borrowing our government has foisted on future generations of taxpayers.

It’s not particularly fair or logical to have air travelers help clean up Washington’s profligate spending habits — but at least it would be more honest than picking their pockets for something that doesn’t shorten airport security lines.

In fact, both the president’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget and bipartisan legislation in Congress called the SAFEGUARDS Act already propose to end the underhanded Passenger Security Fee diversion.

This is no longer about ICE enforcement, or immigration policy in general, or the separation of powers — it’s about our money.

Get to work, Washington.

Pete Sepp is president of National Taxpayers Union.

Some Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents are selling their blood plasma to make ends meet as the 38-day Department of Homeland Security shutdown drags on, acting Deputy TSA Administrator Adam Stahl told reporters Tuesday.

“We got folks sleeping in cars,” Stahl told reporters at Washington’s Reagan National Airport, referring to TSA employees. “I talked to a single mother recently who has a three-year-old child with special needs and can’t afford to pay for childcare for that three-year-old child.”

Stahl also said some agents are having “blood drawn to afford gas to come to work.”

The bleak situation comes as TSA agents nationwide have been forced to report to work without pay during the prolonged funding lapse. More than 50,000 TSA personnel will miss their second full paycheck of the shutdown if the funding lapse is not resolved by Friday.

TRUMP SAYS ICE WILL DEPLOY TO AIRPORTS MONDAY TO ASSIST TSA AMID FUNDING STANDOFF

More than 400 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers have quit since the shutdown began on Feb. 14. (Michael Ciaglo / Getty Images)

Though talks to end the shutdown have ramped up in the past 24 hours, Stahl warned that the impact funding lapses have on TSA agents would continue to worsen if the shutdown does not end soon.

“It’s a dire situation,” Stahl said. “The longer our folks don’t get paid, the more they’re going to not be able to come into work and the more they’re going to quit altogether.”

The shortage of TSA workers at major travel hubs across the country has led to hours-long wait times at airport security checkpoints. Stahl said the ongoing spring break travel season could exacerbate airports’ staffing constraints.

More than 400 TSA agents have quit since the shutdown began on Feb. 14.

“This again is going to get worse before it gets better if Senate Democrats particularly don’t act and don’t act soon,” he said, adding that a mass exit of TSA workers hurts the agency’s ability to prepare for the upcoming FIFA World Cup later this summer.

Some TSA agents have begun selling their blood plasma for money during the partial government shutdown, Acting Deputy Administrator Adam Stahl said Tuesday. (Carl Court/Getty Images)

LIZ PEEK: VOTERS TELL CONGRESS ‘DO YOUR JOB’ AND END THE DHS SHOWDOWN

GOP lawmakers have blasted their Democratic colleagues for withholding support for a full-year DHS funding bill as the party demands reforms to immigration enforcement. They argue that TSA agents — in addition to thousands of other DHS workers employed by various sub-agencies — are victims of Democrats’ hardball tactics.

“The men and women who work for TSA agents are American heroes,” Rep. Mark Alford, R-Mo., said at Reagan National airport Tuesday. “Would you still be at your job if you were facing a third paycheck of not getting paid?” 

TSA agents were also forced to work without pay during the record-breaking 43-day shutdown in fall 2025.

Democrats, by contrast, have blamed Republicans for opposing legislation that would fund DHS — including TSA — minus the department’s immigration enforcement functions. 

Rep. Mark Alford highlighted TSA agents’ financial struggles during the ongoing Department of Homeland Security shutdown at a press conference at Washington’s Reagan National Airport on Tuesday. (Getty Images)

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President Donald Trump laid into Democrats Tuesday when asked about TSA agents working for over a month without their salary.

“They’ll do anything to hurt our country so they can try and win the midterms,” Trump said

Fox News Digital reached out to TSA for comment.

Actress Brenda Song is taking major turbulence with Alaska Airlines.

The 37-year-old star blasted the airline for wrecking a family getaway alongside fiancé Macaulay Culkin, claiming the carrier split her from her sons — Dakota, 4, and Carson, 3 — despite booking first-class seats together months in advance.

In a fiery Instagram rant, the Disney Channel alum claimed their seats were “given away” without any warning as the family planned to celebrate Dakota’s birthday.

“I didn’t know when you book your first class tickets 6 months in advance for your family … @alaskaair can just give away your seats the morning of with no warning,” she wrote in the Instagram Story on Saturday.

She doubled down by tagging Culkin and warning fans to “never fly” with the airline again.

The “Home Alone” icon quickly backed up his partner, reposting her tirade with a cheeky but telling jab: “Hell hath no fury like a Brenda scorned…”

The FBI is investigating a potential “threat” at Kansas City International Airport in Missouri, which was partially evacuated Sunday afternoon, the Kansas City Aviation Department said.

Airport spokesperson Jackson Overstreet told the Associated Press in an email that the threat was reported at 11:50 a.m. local time, at which point the entire terminal was evacuated.

He told the outlet that planes that had landed after the threat was received were being held on the taxiway.

FBI spokesperson Dixon Land said the bureau was “aware of the incident and our personnel are working with airport and law enforcement officials to determine the credibility of a threat.”

Passenger Logan Hawley, 29, told the outlet he was getting ready to board a flight to Texas when he saw police and K-9 units swarming the terminal.

“Suddenly there was an airport worker saying ‘immediately evacuate,’ people got up fast and rushed out of there,” Hawley said.

Roughly 2,000 people were ushered out of the terminal and onto the tarmac, he said.

Photos and video from the airport circulating online show large groups of passengers being led onto the tarmac or funneling out of the terminal.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

With Post wires

San Francisco International Airport welcomed its first non-stop Emirates flight from the Middle East since the start of the Iran war.

Thursday marked long-awaited reunions as passengers from Dubai finally embraced their loved ones.

Several travelers told ABC7 Eyewitness News their work trips became ordeals, leaving them stranded as conflict erupted. They described tense days sheltering, hearing distant explosions, and uncertainty about when they could return home.

Heather Doherty of Alameda set out for India on business, but her plans changed when her connecting flight from Dubai was forced to return mid-air because of escalating violence.

“I couldn’t be more relieved to be home,” Doherty said.

“It was five days of uncertainty, but I’m thrilled to be back on American soil,” she told the outlet.

“I spent the first night huddled on the floor next to my bed, worried about the windows exploding — so you hear alerts going off, you hear explosions in the sky,” she added.

Susan Daley from Chicago was also in the Middle East for work and described her experience to ABC. “We had a lovely lunch, then the bombing started, so we went back to the hotel, and at that point, we were sheltering in place, locked down, doing whatever they told us to do.”

For Dubai residents Jeyaram and Jayant Deshpande, the idea of returning to the Middle East brought no hesitation.

“The civilians are so safe,” said Venkatesh Jeyaram of Dubai. “We are very well taken care of. I’m absolutely not worried about going back to Dubai.”

The joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign, Operation Epic Fury, has escalated into a full-scale conflict to dismantle Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and achieve regime change.

As of March 5, 2026, the strikes have reportedly killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and devastated the Iranian Navy, while Tehran has retaliated with massive missile and drone barrages against U.S. bases and allies across the Persian Gulf.

Several Canadian airports say people wanting to use Nexus or Global Entry at U.S. pre-clearance are out of luck, as both programs are currently unavailable.

On Sunday, the X accounts for multiple airports including Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary and Ottawa posted advisories that access to the programs for U.S.-bound flights were closed.

“Passengers travelling through U.S. Customs at YYC should allow for extra time to pass through security checks,” Calgary International Airport wrote in an X post.

Toronto Pearson International Airport also advised on X that travellers were encouraged to use the Mobile Passport Control app to expedite processing at U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

In a statement, Vancouver International Airport indicated the suspension of access to both pre-clearance programs is due to the ongoing partial government shutdown south of the border.

“Please be aware that access to NEXUS and Global Entry pre-clearance programs for U.S.-bound flights at YVR are currently suspended until further notice due to the partial U.S. Government shutdown,” a post on the airport’s website says. “This change may impact processing times for travellers departing for the U.S.”

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The Canada Border Services Agency also confirmed in an email the connection between the suspension and partial shutdown.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Sunday it would shut down the Global Entry program as long as the partial shutdown was in effect.

That announcement came a day after DHS said it planned to shut down both Global Entry and the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) PreCheck program. DHS later cancelled the PreCheck closure.

The shutdown began Feb. 14 after Democrats and the White House were unable to reach a deal on legislation to fund DHS. Democrats have been demanding changes to immigration operations core to President Donald Trump’s deportation campaign.

The Nexus program speeds up border crossings for frequent travellers from Canada and the U.S., according to Canada Border Services Agency and U.S. Customs officials. It works by expediting the crossing of pre-screened travellers and allowing border officers to focus more attention on stopping illegal activities and criminals.

Global Entry is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection program that allows pre-approved, low-risk travelers to use expedited kiosks when entering the United States from abroad. There’s no specific government data that shows how much time passengers save at airports or other ports of entry from Global Entry but travel industry experts estimate that Global Entry cuts the amount of time passengers spend getting through customs to 5 to 10 minutes, from an average of 30 to 90 mins for regular customs lines.

Those who have Global Entry also receive TSA PreCheck. The Department of Homeland Security said in 2024 that more than 20 million Americans had TSA PreCheck, and millions of those Americans have overlapping Global Entry memberships.

—with files from Global News’ Aaron D’Andrea and The Associated Press

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