Delta flight diverted to Porto, Portugal
The gist
A Delta Barcelona-to-Boston flight diverted to Porto after cabin smoke; 14 got medical attention.
The cause of the smoke is still unknown, so the incident remains under investigation.
How it unfolded
- Sep 27, 2026Delta Air Lines flight DL251, an Airbus A330-300 (registration N824NW), departed Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport shortly after 3:00 PM local time, climbed to 33,000 feet over mainland Spain, then settled into oceanic cruise at 32,000 feet.
- Sep 27, 2026Roughly two hours into the flight, while tracking west over the Atlantic Ocean, the crew aborted the crossing due to an unfolding medical situation in the cabin, transmitted a "Squawk 7700" code and requested an immediate diversion to the nearest suitable airport due to smoke in the cabin.
- Sep 27, 2026Air traffic controllers vectored the wide-body jet toward Francisco de Sá Carneiro Airport in Porto, Portugal; a little over three hours after leaving Barcelona, the aircraft landed safely on Porto's Runway 35.