Delta Passengers Stranded on Remote Island in the Atlantic Ocean for 12 Hours After Emergency Landing

A Delta Air Lines flight from Ghana to New York turned into a nightmare for passengers after it made an emergency landing on a remote island in the Atlantic Ocean. The passengers were left stranded for 12 hours at a small airport with no Delta staff, no food, and no water, while the flight crew were taken to hotels.

The flight, Delta 157, was en route from Accra to New York-JFK on Friday, September 8, when it encountered a mechanical issue with a backup oxygen system. The pilot decided to divert to Lajes Airport on Terceira Island in the Azores, a Portuguese archipelago. The type of aircraft in the Delta incident was an Airbus A350-900. This is a wide-body jet that can carry up to 325 passengers and has a range of 15,000 km. The aircraft is powered by two Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines.

According to Delta, the backup oxygen system was only for the air supply in the cockpit, but the oxygen supply remained normal throughout the flight. However, regulations require the part that malfunctioned to be working properly on all planes, and when it breaks, pilots must immediately divert to the nearest safe airport.

Delta said that it landed safely at Lajes Airport and that it dispatched an alternate aircraft from Lisbon to help the passengers get to their final destinations. The airline also said that it refunded all the passengers and issued additional credits. However, the passengers had a different story to tell.

One of the passengers, Nana Asante-Smith, posted a video on Instagram describing the ordeal. She said that she and her fellow passengers were taken to an enclosed part of the airport and held for 12 hours with no information or assistance from Delta or the airport staff.

She said that they were only provided water from bathroom faucets and had to wait for a long time before they could buy food from a cafe with credit cards. She also said that many passengers could not eat the ham sandwiches that were later distributed due to dietary restrictions.

She said that the elderly, pregnant women, and children became restless, frustrated, and confused. She also said that the airport staff told them that they “shouldn’t start a revolution” and that they should “be grateful for a second chance at life.”

She said that they were abandoned by Delta and treated like “encroaching roaches” by the airport representatives. She also said that their luggage was left on the original plane and that they had to wait at least a day to receive their bags.

Another passenger, Kwame Asante-Smith, told USA Today.action that they felt like they were in “a hostage situation.” He also said that they did not receive any updates or apologies from Delta until they reached New York.

Delta apologized to the passengers for the delay in their travels and said that it was working with its suppliers and customers to resolve the issue as quickly and safely as possible. The airline also said that it was confident in the long-term performance and reliability of its Pratt & Whitney Geared Turbofan engines, which power its Airbus A320neo jets.

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, msn.com, USAToday.com, delta.com