Late Sunday night, hundreds of Delta Air Lines passengers en route to Detroit found themselves spending an unexpected night in a remote Canadian military barracks. The diversion was due to mechanical issues on Delta Flight 135, which was en route from Amsterdam to the United States with 270 customers, three pilots, and seven flight attendants on board. The Airbus 330 made an unscheduled stop at Happy Valley-Goose Bay in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, citing “an abundance of caution” in Delta’s official statement.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the pilot reported problems with the deicing equipment around 3:15 p.m. local time, leading to the diversion to Happy Valley-Goose Bay Airport. The FAA has announced that it will conduct an investigation into the reported issues.
Delta revealed that the decision to divert was also influenced by crew duty times, impacted by adverse weather conditions and runway conditions at Goose Bay Airport, which ultimately led to the suspension of operations at the airport. As a result, the 270 passengers, along with the flight crew, spent Sunday night in military barracks in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, a community with approximately 8,000 residents in Central Labrador. The Goose Bay Airfield serves both military and civilian operations and features two major runways.
Delta collaborated with local authorities to ensure that the affected passengers were provided with food and accommodations during their unexpected stay. The airline confirmed that compensation would be offered to the affected customers, although specific details were not disclosed.
To rectify the situation, Delta dispatched additional aircraft to Goose Bay on Monday to transport the stranded passengers to their final destination. In their official statement, Delta apologized to customers for the inconvenience caused by the diversion.
As the incident unfolded, CNN reached out to Goose Bay Airport, an airfield that typically handles around 160,000 passengers annually, for additional information. The full details of the mechanical issues and the subsequent investigation by the FAA are yet to be disclosed.