A Delta Airlines flight en route to Amsterdam was compelled to make an unexpected detour to New York City after passengers and crew members, including both pilots, were served chicken contaminated with mold.
This startling revelation was made by a passenger on board, Nancy Kirchoff, aged 65.
According to the Daily Mail, Kirchoff was traveling with her husband when the flight was forced to make an emergency landing at JFK Airport in the wee hours of Wednesday morning. The pilot made an announcement stating that the flight was being rerouted due to a 'food issue' that had resulted in people falling ill. "They said they saw some mold on the chicken," Kirchoff shared. She further inquired if anyone had been adversely affected, to which she was informed that no passengers had reported any illness, although both pilots had consumed the chicken.
Upon landing at JFK, medical personnel were on standby to provide assistance to 14 passengers and 10 crew members. However, all declined to receive medical attention. The A330 aircraft, carrying 277 passengers, had initially departed from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport shortly before 11 pm on Tuesday. The decision to divert the flight to New York City was made after it was discovered that a portion of the in-flight meal service was spoiled, a Delta spokesperson confirmed.
Kirchoff recalled the moment when the pilot informed passengers of the food issue. "We were probably halfway to Amsterdam, around Nova Scotia and starting to cross the ocean when the pilot came on and said there was some type of food issue," she said. Following this announcement, flight attendants conducted a check on each row, inquiring if passengers were feeling well or unwell. It was during this check that Kirchoff was informed about the moldy chicken and that both pilots had consumed the meal.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Delta and LSG Sky Chefs, the company responsible for Delta's meal services, for a comment on the incident. Kirchoff suspects that the decision to divert the plane was a 'precautionary measure', as she did not witness anyone falling ill during the flight. She confirmed that her husband had eaten the chicken during the in-flight meal service, but fortunately, he did not fall ill.
The flight landed safely at JFK around 4 am on Wednesday, where passengers and crew were met by medical personnel. "There were 24 aided cases upon landing, including 10 members of the flight crew and 14 passengers, all of whom declined to receive medical attention," a Port Authority spokesperson stated. Passengers were provided with hotel rooms and transportation and arrangements were made to rebook their flights to their respective destinations.
A Delta spokesperson revealed that the decision to make the emergency landing was taken after consulting with medical experts. However, this incident caused significant disruption to passengers' travel plans, with one passenger expressing her frustration on Twitter.
The passenger, identified as Virginia, tweeted at the airline, "I need to know how you're going to get me to Amsterdam today - I'm on the plane that's emergency landing at JFK because you served passengers 'contaminated' food. I don't need hotel/food vouchers I need to arrive in Amsterdam today."
Kirchoff and her husband, who were traveling to celebrate their 20th anniversary on a cruise, have been rebooked on another flight to Amsterdam after their ticket was changed three times by the airline. Due to the disruption, they missed the first day of their cruise and are now expected to board the voyage at its first port stop.
A spokesperson for Delta stated, "Delta flight 136 from Detroit to Amsterdam diverted to New York's JFK early Wednesday morning after it was discovered that a portion of the in-flight meal service was spoiled. Medical crews were on site to meet the aircraft and treat any affected passengers and crew members. Delta teams will immediately work to gather information into how this incident occurred. This is not the service Delta is known for and we sincerely apologize to our customers for the inconvenience and delay in their travels."
This incident follows a separate emergency landing made by a Delta plane at JFK in April after an emergency slide fell off the aircraft. The Boeing 767, carrying 176 customers, two pilots, and five flight attendants, was an hour into its journey to Los Angeles when an emergency alarm was triggered by the freak incident. No injuries were reported in that incident.
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