Delta Flight to Boston Diverts to Portugal After Smoke Fills Cabin

A Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) flight bound for Boston from Barcelona was forced to make an emergency landing in Porto, Portugal, on Sunday afternoon following reports of smoke in the cabin. The airline confirmed the flight landed safely and attributed the diversion to a mechanical issue.

Incident Details

Delta flight DL251, an Airbus A330, was diverted from its transatlantic route after the crew reported an in-flight issue. While Delta described the event as a "reported mechanical issue," a spokesperson for Portugal’s emergency and civil protection authority confirmed to Reuters that the forced landing was prompted by smoke in the cabin.

According to data from the tracking service Flightradar24, the flight departed Barcelona at 3:15 p.m. local time and landed safely at Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport in Porto at approximately 5:45 p.m.

Passenger Response

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Following the successful landing, emergency services met the aircraft on the tarmac. The Portuguese emergency authority spokesperson provided details on the medical response:

• Eight passengers were treated by medical personnel on the tarmac.
• An additional three passengers were transported to a local hospital for further treatment.

Delta has not yet released details on plans to get the remaining passengers to their final destination in Boston. The incident will be subject to investigation by relevant aviation authorities.