Location: Atlanta, GA

Last week, nearly 300 passengers aboard two separate Delta Air Lines flights were stranded overnight on the tarmac at Montgomery Regional Airport (MGM) in Alabama after severe weather prompted a diversion from their intended route to Atlanta. This situation unfolded on Thursday night when both flights were unable to continue to their destination due to dangerous weather conditions in the Southeast.

Flight Details

Flight 1828, which originated from Los Cabos (SJD), and Flight 599 from Mexico City (MEX), departed within an hour of each other, both heading for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. As thunderstorms rolled over Atlanta, the pilots chose to divert to Montgomery Airport for safety reasons.

Extended Waiting Period

Upon landing around 10:30 PM, passengers on both flights were instructed to remain onboard while waiting for conditions to improve. Unfortunately, they remained on the aircraft for nearly seven hours, unable to disembark until approximately 5:30 AM the following morning. The flights ultimately reached Atlanta mid-day on Friday.

Reasons for the Diversion

A Delta Air Lines spokesperson provided insights into the delays, citing several logistical challenges:

• International flights require Customs and Border Protection (CBP) processing, which MGM lacked facilities to accommodate.
• Special arrangements with CBP were made, but it took several hours before they were finalized.
• Severe thunderstorms and lightning activity delayed the situation further, compounding the wait as flight crews exceeded their permissible duty time.

Delta’s Response

In light of the disruptions, Delta Air Lines issued an apology, acknowledging the level of service had not met their high standards. They are providing those affected with full refunds for their tickets. Delta emphasized that the safety and well-being of their passengers and crew remain the top priority, and they are reviewing procedures to prevent similar events in the future. The full statement from Delta included:

“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 U.S. Thursday evening.”

The airline also noted that alternative airports, such as Birmingham, were not viable due to adverse weather conditions.

Future Improvements

Delta Air Lines is committed to enhancing their response protocols to mitigate extensive delays during adverse weather conditions. The impacted passengers can expect a full refund as a gesture of goodwill for the inconvenience experienced during this incident.