A frosty flight reportedly left 270 passengers stranded Sunday for nearly 24 hours.
Delta flight 135 from Amsterdam to Detroit conducted an emergency landing due to problems de-icing one of the plane’s engines, trapping travelers at Goose Bay Airport in Canada, CBS News reported.
“Delta flight 135 operating from Amsterdam to Detroit on Dec. 10 experienced a mechanical issue and diverted to Goose Bay, Newfoundland Sunday afternoon out of an abundance of caution,” a Delta spokesperson said in a statement.
A Delta Airlines flight carrying 270 people to Detroit was diverted to a military base in Goose Bay, Canada over the weekend due to a mechanical issue, leaving passengers stranded onboard for hours. pic.twitter.com/ifPrPUL93I
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) December 12, 2023
The Canadian Air Force base had a runway long enough to accommodate the plane’s landing, CBS News reported. Temperatures reportedly decreased rapidly within the hours passengers were confined on the aircraft.
“Boarded a new plane after waiting 7+ hours, waited an hour after boarding for take off only to hear that the crew and pilot have finished their allotted hours of flying and need to rest now for 10-12 hours. Now Delta is looking for accommodations for us all,” Shikha Joshi, a mother stuck on the flight with her 4-year-old son, wrote in an Instagram story, according to NBC News.
Passengers were given access to rooms with basic amenities, where they slept for two hours, NBC News reported. They were then transported by bus to board another plane, Joshi said. Goose Bay, which only has approximately 8,000 residents, did not have enough hotels to house the plane’s passengers, according to CBS News.
Currently stuck way up in Goose Bay, Canada after my @Delta flight was diverted here due to an engine issue. No end in sight, passengers are just sitting in the replacement plane that was flown up, but the crew/pilot hit their daily duty limit and can’t fly back until tomorrow
— Trevor🌱 (@_dreamcats) December 11, 2023
Food, water and accommodations were provided by the airline and Goose Bay officials, a Delta spokesperson said. Snacks like Rice Krispy treats, granola bars and baked goods from Tim Horton’s were given to stranded travelers, Joshi showed in Instagram photos.