10-07-2025
Delta flight's emergency landing leaves passengers stuck on volcanic island for 29 hours
Passengers on a Delta Air Lines flight from Spain bound for New York spent more than a day on a remote island after the plane experienced an engine problem and made an emergency landing, an airline official said Wednesday.
Delta Flight 127 bound for John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York experienced a mechanical problem midflight on Sunday after departing from Madrid, Delta spokesperson Andrew Post confirmed to USA TODAY.
There were 282 customers and 13 crew members aboard the Airbus A330 when it departed the Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas, Post said.
The plane, which departed Spain at 12:34 p.m. local time, made an emergency landing on the Portuguese volcanic island of Terceira in the Azores.
The island is about a third of the way across the North Atlantic Ocean.
"As safety comes before all else at Delta, the flight crew followed procedures to divert to Lajes, Azores (TER) after indication of a mechanical issue with an engine," the airline released in a statement to USA TODAY. "The flight landed safely, and we sincerely apologize to our customers for their experience and delay in their travels."
New York bound flight makes emergency landing in Azores
The flight from Madrid to New York City usually takes 8 hours, 20 minutes.
According to the online site Flight Aware, which tracks flight paths, the plane landed at Lajes Air Base International Airport more than five hours after departing Madrid.
Passengers spent about 29 hours there before departing for to their original destination, according to information from the site and Delta.
It was not immediately known what caused the engine issue.
Passengers and crew spent the night in a motel and were able to fly to their original destination on Monday, the airline confirmed.
FlightAware shows other flight options to leave the island were also available for those customers in the following days.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@ and follow her on X @nataliealund.
