I was on a flight from Newark to Palma when, about an hour after departure, the crew made an unexpected announcement instructing all passengers to disable their Bluetooth devices immediately. According to the announcement, the request came directly from airline operations, and failure to comply could result in the aircraft returning to Newark.
The crew repeated the warning several times, eventually stating that a small number of Bluetooth devices were still active. They indicated they were coordinating with airline personnel on the ground to determine what actions to take next.
Update: The onboard Wi-Fi eventually returned, but the aircraft ultimately turned around. Passengers were informed that an individual had allegedly used a Bluetooth device in a way that was considered a potential safety or security concern. The crew suggested that one person's actions were affecting everyone on board, though specific details were not provided.
Upon arrival back in Newark, passengers were told that personnel would be waiting to investigate and identify the device involved. At this point, there has been very little official information shared about what actually happened.
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