Montgomery, Alabama – Two Delta Air Lines flights traveling from Mexico to Boston were forced to divert to Alabama due to bad weather, causing passengers to spend hours on the tarmac. Both flights, scheduled to stop in Atlanta before reaching Boston, were grounded in Montgomery after landing around 10:30 p.m. local time. The delay was attributed to a customs issue, as the airport lacked the necessary staff to process international passengers.
Passengers on board the flights were stranded on the planes for several hours, unable to disembark due to the staffing shortage. Despite the uncomfortable situation, Delta Air Lines kept the plane doors open while passengers awaited further instructions. Lauren Forbes, a passenger on one of the flights, described the challenging experience, highlighting the lack of facilities and the prolonged wait on the tarmac.
After seven hours of waiting, passengers were finally allowed to disembark in groups of 20 to stretch their legs and access basic amenities at the airport. The unexpected delay led to further complications for travelers like Forbes, who had to rebook connecting flights and endure a total journey time of 25 hours before reaching their final destination in Boston. The airline has since reached out to affected passengers offering full refunds as a gesture of goodwill.
In a statement, Delta Air Lines expressed regret for the incident and acknowledged that their service fell short of expectations. The airline cited unforeseen thunderstorms in the Southeast U.S. region as the primary cause of the delays, noting that flight crews had exceeded their permitted working hours due to the extended wait in Montgomery. Despite the challenges, Delta reassured passengers that they were committed to addressing the situation and improving protocols for handling such occurrences in the future.