A Delta jet experienced engine problems on what was supposed to be a trans-Atlantic flight and landed on an island in the middle of the ocean, leading to a more than 31-hour delay, officials said Thursday.
Flight 127 left Madrid on Sunday, bound for New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, when it had "to divert to Lajes, Azores (TER) after indication of a mechanical issue with an engine," according to an airline statement.
The Airbus A330 had 282 customers and 13 crew members on board, Delta said.
The passengers and crew "deplaned via stairs at TER" and "were accommodated overnight in area hotels and provided meals," the airline added.
They were taken off the island in Portugal’s Azores archipelago on a new aircraft on Monday.
"The flight landed safely, and we sincerely apologize to our customers for their experience and delay in their travels,” Delta said.
The unscheduled second leg of the journey got off the ground at 9:07 p.m. GMT Monday and landed at JFK at 10:36 p.m. ET, according to the flight tracking service FlightAware.
That leg lasted five hours and 29 minutes, touching down in New York a little more than 31 1/2 hours after Flight 127 was supposed to have landed just before 3 p.m. Sunday.
