Oakshadow

This looks like a mess.
DL157 on a A330 76K took off from ACC, had an issue with the backup oxygen system and diverted to TER (Lajes, Azores) at about 6am local time.

According to reports the crew were quickly shuttled off to a hotel and the pax were all brought to a "partitioned section" of the airport, given no food, water or info for hours. At about 11:30am the pax were told there would be no meal because they already were given a meal prior to the 6am landing. When some pax begged for water they were told they could use the tap water from the bathrooms. Eventually they were given ham sandwiches, juice and crackers - many Muslims in west Africa so this probably didn't work for them.

According to a passenger, a DL rep told everyone they should not start a "revolution" and be grateful that they were allowed to land and their plane didn't crash into the sea.
After 12 hours a rescue aircraft arrived and pax continued on to JFK.

Business Insider article about the diversion here: Delta passengers stuck on an island after a flight diversion how airport staff said they should 'be grateful' their plane didn't crash into the Atlantic Ocean.

DLASflyer

Tap water is water.

kale73

So is the Atlantic Ocean.

Curious as to how/why a DL “rep” was present at Lajes, since DL doesn’t (normally) fly there.

ijgordon

Not everywhere.

matchbox20_is

I don't think there was one present. It seems like it was a member of the TER airport staff.

ClipperDelta

Also, aircraft involved was a 76K, not an A330. Plane was already back in service on Sunday 10 Sept.

DL cancelled that day’s LIS-BOS flight and sent the plane instead to TER to pick up the stranded pax.

Goodoldflyer

Yes, they should have brought them in food and drinks.

No, they really couldn't let them run free in the airport.

It was certainly better than making them stay on the plane.

Tap water, the horror, the horror.

drminn

There are place in the world where tap water can kill you. Flint, Michigan anyone?

Goodoldflyer

Yes, if you're a small child who drinks it from lead pipes after some kind of chemical cleaning for your entire childhood.

The water in the Azores airport is fine for an afternoon of waiting for your plane.

DLASflyer

A quick search shows the Azores have some of the best tap water in the world.

https://www.groundwatergovernance.or...in-the-azores/

Oakshadow

I think I typed an A330 because the Insider article at the heading of the story had a photo of a specific A330 with its registration number and no indication anywhere else in the article of the aircraft type.

ecaarch

I would decline the tap water in MEX. Having traveled with an immuno-compromised companion, I totally understand being apprehensive about tap water in an unknown location.

zeke3

To me, the way this was handled reflects just as poorly on Portugal as it does Delta. I also wonder why they landed at TER instead of PDL? All of those airports have long runways, but I think PDL is the only international one.

All For The Miles

My guess would be because they needed to get the airplane down on the ground as quickly as they could. Not sure what the flight path was but it might have been easier to land at TER instead of PDL.

zeke3

Can any of the flight diversion experts out there weigh in? When I look at the map, the diversion started just north of Cabo Verde, skipped the Canaries, and went further north to TER instead of PDL. All of those locations have international airports, so this has me baffled.