A Delta Air Lines flight was forced to return to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on October 18 after passengers and crew detected a foul odor midair. The plane, bound for Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC), had to abort its trip shortly after takeoff due to what was later identified as a spoiled food item brought onboard by a customer.
According to Delta, the smell was not related to any onboard food or beverage services. The aircraft was carrying 189 passengers, two pilots, and four flight attendants when the odor was detected. Delta stated that the crew followed standard safety procedures in deciding to return to LAX.
Once back in Los Angeles, passengers deplaned and waited several hours before resuming their journey to Salt Lake City. Flight tracking data from FlightAware confirmed the flight’s delayed departure and eventual arrival in Utah.
In a statement to People magazine, a Delta spokesperson apologized for the disruption: “As nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and people, our crew followed standard procedures to safely return to Los Angeles after an unpleasant odor was detected onboard.”
This is the latest in a series of incidents involving Delta Air Lines in recent months. Earlier, two Delta regional planes collided at low speed while taxiing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, causing a minor injury. Over the summer, a Delta copilot was arrested at San Francisco International Airport over allegations involving child sexual abuse material.
The airline has faced growing scrutiny for its operational lapses, passenger experience issues, and personnel-related controversies.
