In a rather unusual turn of events, a Delta Airlines flight from Atlanta to Barcelona had to make an abrupt return to its departure point two hours into the journey. The cause? A passenger was suffering from severe diarrhea, described vividly as “explosive.”
On the afternoon of Friday, September 1, passengers aboard the Airbus A350 were witness to what could only be described as a surreal scenario. According to reports from the New York Post, the decision to turn back was made after the pilot communicated with ground authorities about the health risk posed by the situation. An audio recording from the cockpit, circulated on X (formerly known as Twitter), captured the pilot stating, “We have a passenger who has been having diarrhea throughout the flight, and they want us to return to Atlanta.”
The affected passenger reportedly lost control, affecting the cleanliness of the aircraft. Upon landing back in Atlanta, all passengers were evacuated, and the sick individual received immediate medical attention.
Aftermath and Apology
Delta Airlines faced a logistical challenge following the incident. The plane had to be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, with the airline even going as far as replacing the carpet. It was a race against time to prepare the aircraft for its next journey.
Passengers were significantly delayed but were able to board a rescheduled flight to Barcelona by the following afternoon, arriving about eight hours behind their original schedule.
Delta Airlines swiftly issued an apology for the inconvenience caused by the incident. A spokesperson for the airline stated, “Our teams worked as quickly and safely as possible to completely clean the aircraft and get our customers to their final destination. We sincerely apologize to our customers for the delay and inconvenience.”
This episode serves as a reminder of the unpredictable nature of air travel, where even the most routine flight can turn into an unexpected adventure.
