Engine Issue Forces Delta Jet To Divert To Island In Atlantic Ocean, Where Nearly 300 Passengers Spend The Night

A New York-bound Delta flight diverted to an island in the Atlantic Ocean due to a “mechanical issue with an engine,” where passengers had to spend the night.

Flight 127, departing from Madrid, Spain, diverted to an island in the Azores.

Nearly 300 passengers and crew spent around 29 hours on Terceira Island.

The Azores are an autonomous region of Portugal made up of nine volcanic islands.

“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,” a Delta spokesperson said, according to CBS News.

“The flight landed safely, and we sincerely apologize to our customers for their experience and delay in their travels,” it added.

Customers on a Delta Air Lines flight from Madrid to New York spent more than a day on Terceira, Azores — a small island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean — after an engine problem midflight prompted an emergency landing, an airline spokesperson said. https://t.co/nwICdBsKQp

— CBS News (@CBSNews) July 10, 2025

More from CBS News:

The flight landed safely and customers were deplaned via stairs within an hour of landing, an airline spokesperson said. As of Wednesday, the spokesperson did not have information available regarding whether the plane was still under maintenance.

Customers and crew spent the night at area hotels and were provided meals. They boarded a new plane and arrived at JFK airport on Monday.

The flight from Madrid to New York normally takes about 8 hours, 20 minutes.

Delta will reach out to customers directly to apologize and offer compensation.

According to The Guardian, the flight had 282 customers and 13 crew members.

A Delta jet, carrying nearly 300 travelers and crew, faced engine problems over the Atlantic before landing on an island in the middle of the ocean where passengers had to spend the night. https://t.co/5kt4VV3iCF

— NBC News (@NBCNews) July 10, 2025

The Guardian noted:

The Azores is a cluster of Portuguese islands in the Atlantic Ocean. The US government has an air force base there, in the town of Lajes, where Delta’s Sunday flight was diverted.

The customers and crew were placed on a new plane, which then arrived at New York’s John F Kennedy airport the following day, 7 July.