A Delta flight from Detroit to Amsterdam diverted to JFK Airport in New York early Wednesday due to spoiled in-flight meals. The Airbus A330, carrying nearly 300 passengers, landed safely at 4 a.m. after crew members consulted medical experts who recommended the diversion, according to an article on nbcnewyork.com.
Passengers reported that the chicken meals were the cause of the issue. Upon landing, 24 people (10 crew members and 14 passengers) were evaluated by medical crews, but all refused further medical attention.
Delta apologized for the incident and provided affected passengers with hotel accommodations and rebooking on a Wednesday evening flight. In a statement, the airline stated that this level of service is not typical for them, “This is not the service Delta is known for and we sincerely apologize to our customers for the inconvenience and delay in their travels.”
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the events, noting that a number of sick passengers were reported by crew members before landing. The exact number of passengers who consumed the spoiled food and details about the nature of the spoilage were not disclosed.
The largest food poisoning incident aboard a commercial airliner occured in 1975 aboard a Japan Air Lines Boeing 747. On flight from Anchorage, Alaska to Copenhagen, Denmark, 197 people were sickened after consuming an in-flight meal.
Nearly 90 minutes prior to landing in Copenhagen, flight attendants served passengers a breakfast of ham omelettes. An hour after eating, 196 of the total 344 passengers and one crew member of an estimated 20 became ill with reported symptoms of stomach pain, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.
After landing, 144 passengers were taken to the hospital and 30 required critical care. Because of the Danish and Japanese language barrier, translators were gathered from Japanese-speaking staff from local restaurants.
Tests of passenger stool and vomit samples, along with leftover food, identified Staphylococcus aureus as the cause of the illnesses. A further investigation into the source of the contamination was traced back to a provider of inflight meals, a subsidiary of Japan Air Lines, based in Anchorage. One of the cooks who assisted in preparing the meals was found to have lesions on his hand that were infected with Staphylococcus.
Commenting on this story, one national food safety attorney said, “Whether for meals on the ground or in the air, food safety standards remain the same. The airline is to be applauded for prioritizing passenger safety.”
