Almost 300 Delta passengers on two Delta flights had a long, rough night after their planes from Mexico couldn’t land in Atlanta as planned. Bad weather caused the flights to be diverted to a small airport in Montgomery, Alabama. That airport didn’t have U.S. customs officers, so no one could leave the planes. The passengers had to sit for hours on the tarmac with no clear updates. One of the flights came from Mexico City. The other came from Cabo San Lucas. Both were supposed to land at Atlanta’s big airport Thursday night, but storms caused delays and forced the pilots to find another place to land. The passengers ended up stuck on the ground, unable to get off the plane or go anywhere.
Small Alabama airport had no customs to let people exit
Montgomery Regional Airport is not meant for international flights. It does not have U.S. Customs and Border Protection staff on site. That’s a big problem when international planes land there. After both Delta flights touched down, the passengers were told they couldn’t leave. They had not gone through customs, and there was no way to process them. The Delta passengers were left sitting in their seats on the plane for many hours. They had no place to sleep, no clear answers, and no choice but to wait until someone figured out what to do next.
Passenger says flight turned into a 20-hour trip
Alex Alvarez, a tired and frustrated passenger, said the flight was supposed to take only three and a half hours. Instead, it turned into almost 20 hours of delays, waiting, and stress. He said the plane kept circling for a while before the pilot said they were running low on fuel. That’s when they had to land in Montgomery. But once they landed, they hit another problem. The airport had no customs, so no one could leave the plane. That added many more hours of waiting in tight spaces, with little food and no rest for the Delta passengers.
Flight crew timed out and couldn’t fly again
The pilots and crew also had to stop working. Airline rules limit how many hours a crew can work without rest. Once they hit that limit, they can’t fly anymore. That meant the Delta passengers had to stay where they were until new crew members could take over. But that didn’t happen right away. Everyone had to wait through the night. The passengers were still stuck inside the plane, on the tarmac, with no way out. There were no beds, no fresh meals, and no updates on what would happen next.
Passengers finally allowed off the plane at sunrise
It wasn’t until around 5 a.m. on Friday that Delta passengers were finally let off the plane. Delta made plans to fly them from Montgomery to Atlanta once the storm passed. But even then, they weren’t free to move around. Since they still hadn’t gone through customs, they had to wait at the gate. That made the whole experience even longer and more frustrating. Many people had already spent the whole night sitting in their seats. Now they had to wait again, with no timeline for when they could go home.
Delta gave out snacks after hours of waiting
Delta finally passed out food in the morning—simple sandwiches and chips. But passengers had already waited a long time. Some said it was too little, too late. They were tired, hungry, and upset. Many Delta passengers just wanted to get to Atlanta and be done with it. But even simple things like snacks or information came slowly. People were cold, confused, and ready for the long night to end.
Delta says sorry and offers full refunds to all customers
Delta has apologized for the situation. A company spokesperson said the airline “fell short” in how it handled the storm and the passengers. Delta is now contacting all the travelers from both flights. They are offering full refunds for everyone who was stuck on the plane. The company said it wants to make things right. But many Delta passengers say the night on the tarmac was something they’ll never forget—and not in a good way.
