Representative image (Picture credit: X/@Delta)
Nearly 300
Delta Air Lines passengers
arriving from Mexico endured an ordeal that turned a routine journey into a 20-hour travel nightmare after bad weather forced two international flights to divert to an airport unequipped to handle customs processing.
According to The New York Post, Delta flights from Mexico City and Cabo San Lucas were both rerouted late Thursday night to
Montgomery Regional Airport
in Alabama after severe storms triggered a ground stop at their original destination,
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
.
However, Montgomery lacks a Customs and Border Protection facility, leaving passengers stuck onboard the aircrafts overnight.
“It was supposed to be three-and-a-half hours, it turned out to be almost 20 hours,” said passenger Alex Alvarez to 11Alive. “Bad weather, we understand that. But things just kept piling up”, Alvarez added.
Both flights landed around 10:30 pm (local time) and passengers were not allowed to deplane until after 5 am Friday. Even then, they were confined to roped-off sections inside the terminal under guard, with no formal customs clearance, according to People.com.
“You are literally stuck on that airplane,” said Boston-bound passenger Lauren Forbes, who had to rebook her connection to Boston after the hours-long delay.
Delta stated that ongoing lightning and storms prevented them from redirecting to nearby Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, which does have customs and also delayed any deplaning in Montgomery.
According to the Independent, flight crews had also exceeded their maximum allowed working hours, adding to the complications.
Passengers were served minimal refreshments like cookies and water during the ordeal and many, including Forbes, expressed frustration over the lack of contingency plans. “I think this is just an eye-opener for maybe more substantial protocols in place,” she told Boston 25.
A Delta spokesperson apologised for the incident in a statement, saying, “We sincerely apologize to our customers for this experience. We fell short of how we aspire to serve and care for our customers amid thunderstorms in the Southeast US” The airline confirmed that it has contacted affected customers and is offering full refunds for their bookings.
According to The New York Post, Delta acknowledged the planes’ doors remained open throughout the tarmac delay and that passengers were eventually allowed to disembark in small groups before finally continuing on to Atlanta hours later.
