A Delta flight heading to Barcelona was forced to make an emergency landing in Atlanta on Friday after a passenger experienced a severe bout of diarrhoea.
The incident, which the pilot described as “a biohazard issue,” led to the Airbus A350 aircraft returning to its origin just two hours into its journey.
Recordings from LiveATC.com revealed the pilot explaining to air traffic control: “We’ve had a passenger who’s had diarrhoea all the way through the airplane, so they want us to come back to Atlanta.”
Upon landing, Delta immediately mobilised a cleanup team, as reported by FlightRadar 24.
The flight, after being thoroughly cleaned, took off again around 3 am and landed in Barcelona at 5:10 pm following an 8-hour and 13-minute journey.
The identity of the affected passenger remains undisclosed, and it’s uncertain whether they continued on the subsequent flight to Spain.
In response to the incident, Delta acknowledged it as a “medical event” and assured that their crew acted swiftly and safely.
“We sincerely apologise to our customers for the delay and inconvenience to their travel plans,” the airline stated, as reported by Fox 35 Orlando.
This marks the second significant incident for Delta in just a week.
Last Tuesday, a Delta flight experienced severe turbulence leading to at least 11 individuals, comprising both passengers and crew members, being hospitalised with notable injuries.
An eyewitness recounted the harrowing scene, telling Fox 5 Atlanta about “serious head injuries” and “a lot of blood.”
Another passenger, deeply shaken by the incident, opted for a car rental for the remaining journey.