Delta Air Lines Flight Diverted Due To Odor In Cabin

Joining a host of similar reports in recent weeks, a Delta Air Lines flight was diverted Tuesday after an odor was detected in the plane’s cabin. Delta Air Lines Flight 981 from Boston to Atlanta was reportedly diverted to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York “out of an abundance of caution.”

The source of the odor remained unclear Tuesday evening, the airline told International Business Times in a statement that maintenance technicians evaluated the plane and were making the necessary repairs. According to a representative for the carrier, the aircraft landed safely and without incident.

“We are rebooking customers on alternate flights,” the airline said. “Safety is always Delta's number one priority and we apologize to our customers for the inconvenience.”

The Aviation Herald reported Tuesday that there were 158 passengers on board the flight. The plane was near JFK when the crew reported fumes in the back of the plane. And though the flight was diverted, they did not declare the incident an emergency.

“The aircraft turned around and was descending through about FL150 when the crew declared emergency,” the Herald reported. “The aircraft continued for a safe landing on JFK's runway 22R, vacated onto runway 31L, advised that no further assistance was needed and taxied to the apron.”

Incidents of odors disrupting flights or passengers have made frequent headlines in recent weeks, most notably in incidents involving budget carrier JetBlue Airways. The airline last week said that two of its crew members fell ill aboard a Wednesday flight and later pointed to nail polish as the source of the odor. The Associated Press reported at the time that it was the third incident in involving an odor being reported on JetBlue Airways flights in just a week.

A similar incident occurred on a JetBlue Airways flight from California to Florida earlier this month. The plane was diverted to an airport in Oklahoma City after an odor emitted from the cockpit. After eight ambulances arrived on the scene, five of the flight’s 135 passengers were treated for breathing problems.​