Overnight On The Tarmac: Why Passengers On 2 Delta Flights Were Stranded

Travelers stuck on tarmac after international flights diverted to Alabama

Two Delta planes carrying almost 300 passengers and traveling from Mexico to Atlanta, Georgia, were grounded in Montgomery, Alabama, for several hours.

Passengers on two Delta flights from Mexico to Atlanta had to spend a night on the tarmac in Alabama due to a confluence of bad weather, crew time limits, and Customs and Border Patrol rules. 

Delta Air Lines says Flight 1828 from Cabo San Lucas and Flight 599 from Mexico City were both diverted to Montgomery, Alabama, on Thursday out of safety concerns amid severe thunderstorms. The plan was to continue on to Atlanta once conditions cleared, but the weather -- specifically ongoing lightning in Montgomery -- kept the aircraft there longer than expected and flight crews ran over their allowed duty times.  

Because Montgomery Regional Airport doesn’t have the Customs and Border Control staffing and facilities for processing their international arrival, passengers had to stay on board their planes until the airport could reach a deal with CBP early the next morning.  USA TODAY has reached out to airport for additional details. 

Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport would have had the necessary CBP resources, but Delta says it wasn’t a diversion option due to severe weather and reports of windshear there. 

“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,” a Delta spokesperson said in a statement with USA TODAY. “We are reaching out to each customer with a full refund of their booking.” The airline is also reviewing the incidents to improve future handling and avoid similar situations. 

There were nearly 300 passengers on both flights combined. 

While onboard overnight, Delta says aircraft doors remained open and snacks, drinks, climate control and restrooms were available to passengers. They were also given additional food and drinks after they were allowed into the airport terminal in Montgomery after 5 a.m.  

Both flights continued onto Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport later Friday. 

Delta confirmed Flight 1828 left Cabo San Lucas at 5:17 p.m. ET Thursday, arrived in Montgomery at 10:34 p.m. ET Thursday and arrived in Atlanta at 2:05 p.m. ET Friday.  

Flight 599 left Mexico City at 6:16 p.m. ET Thursday, arrived in Montgomery at 10:22 p.m. ET Thursday and arrived in Atlanta at 12:46 p.m. ET Friday.  

Typically, the direct flights each take between 3.5 to 4 hours, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware 

Delta worked with any passengers who missed connecting flights in Atlanta to get them to their final destinations as soon as possible.