A Delta Air Lines flight from Detroit to Amsterdam was diverted to JFK Airport in New York earlier today after passengers on the flight were served spoiled food. According to a statement provided by a Delta spokesperson and obtained by CBS News Detroit, the flight in question, Delta Flight 136, experienced the issue partway through its journey, resulting in medical crews treating the affected passengers upon arrival in New York at about 4 a.m.
Despite the early hour, 277 passengers were on board, with Delta officials not having a confirmed number of those who consumed the compromised meals. In response to the incident, the airline’s food safety team reportedly commenced an immediate investigation with their suppliers, aiming to isolate the product responsible for the incident. Delta's regret regarding the service disruption was clear, "This is not the service Delta is known for and we sincerely apologize to our customers for the inconvenience and delay in their travels," said Delta Corporate Communications Lisa Hanna, expressing her apology, as reported by ClickOnDetroit.
The diversions seem to have become a recent pattern for this airline; last week, a similar event occurred where a Delta flight en route from Munich to Detroit was diverted to London due to sickness among the crew. Although there were no reported passenger illnesses, the flight’s attendants received medical checks at Heathrow Airport.
Regarding the JFK incident, the Fire Department of New York reported treating 12 passengers after the flight's diversion. Meanwhile, the full scope of how many passengers had eaten the spoiled food remained unclear. Delta has committed to a thorough examination of the issue and underscored their standard of care for passengers. "We sincerely apologize to our customers for the inconvenience and delay in their travels," said the Delta spokesperson, acknowledging the situation and the company's intended customer service level, according to AP News.
