Delta Flight 2150 Diverts to Atlanta After Odor, Pilots Use Oxygen Masks

Delta Air Lines has apologized to passengers after Flight 2150 was forced to divert to Atlanta following the detection of an odor onboard, prompting pilots to don oxygen masks as a precautionary measure.

The incident occurred Tuesday Dec. 30, in the afternoon as Flight 2150 was operating a domestic service from Miami to Minneapolis. According to the airline, a reported odor in the cabin led the flight crew to divert the aircraft to Delta’s primary hub at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport before it could reach its destination.

A Delta spokesperson confirmed that the pilots wore oxygen masks during the diversion and landing, describing the action as standard operating procedure. “As a standard procedure, pilots donned oxygen masks in the flight deck; no customer oxygen masks were deployed,” the spokesperson said. The aircraft involved was a Boeing 737-900ER carrying 111 passengers and six crew members.

No injuries or illnesses were reported, and Delta said it worked to rebook affected customers on alternative flights following the unscheduled landing. “Delta’s flight crew followed their extensive training to safely divert to Atlanta after an odor was detected onboard,” the airline said. “We apologize to our customers for the experience and the delay in their travels.”

The diversion capped a challenging few days for Delta, which has faced widespread operational disruption due to weather and crew constraints. Earlier in the week, the Federal Aviation Administration imposed a ground stop affecting only Delta flights departing Detroit Metro Airport, which lasted more than two hours. Over the weekend, cancellations also mounted at Atlanta, with the airline citing exhausted crew duty times amid northeast weather impacts.

Delta has also faced knock-on effects at other major hubs. At Boston Logan International Airport, cancellations and delays surged, with Boston briefly recording the highest number of flight cancellations worldwide. Some passengers traveling to Miami were left scrambling for alternatives, including one family that ultimately rerouted via Atlanta and drove overnight to reach their cruise departure.

Despite the turbulence, Delta showed signs of operational improvement on Tuesday. After recording 302 cancellations on Sunday and 147 on Monday—the highest totals globally on both days—the airline reduced cancellations to 24 on Tuesday. Flight delays remained elevated at 921, trailing only Southwest and American Airlines, but early Wednesday figures showed further stabilization with just three cancellations and 40 delays reported.

While odor-related diversions are not uncommon across the industry, the incident underscores the pressure on airline operations during periods of high demand and adverse weather. Delta said safety remained its top priority as it works to normalize operations following a difficult stretch.

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, thetravel.com