Memorial Day is known for causing travel disruptions, yet on Monday, a flight bound for Los Angeles had to make an unexpected emergency landing due to a rather unusual reason: a sick dog requiring immediate veterinary attention.
On Monday evening, Delta Flight 694 heading from Detroit to Los Angeles International Airport was rerouted mid-flight to let a passenger and an ill dog get off at Minneapolis, as stated by the airline company.
The crew received notification about an ill dog in the cabin, prompting a doctor traveling onboard to offer immediate medical assistance. Instead of continuing with their five-hour journey, they opted to make an early landing with the Airbus A320, causing a 2½-hour postponement for the aircraft’s 187 occupants including both passengers and staff.
The well-being of our passengers and staff takes precedence over all else for Delta,” stated a company representative in a press release. “This is precisely why Delta Flight 694 was rerouted to MSP—to guarantee that a sick cabin pet could receive appropriate medical attention.
As soon as the plane landed at Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport, medical staff greeted both the dog and its owner. A fellow traveler on board reported this.
told KTLA News
the captain announced that the pet was anticipated to recover.
The aircraft continued its flight and completed the rest of the trip to Los Angeles without any issues in the next four hours.
Delays on Delta flights tend to be fairly uncommon. In January, the carrier was rated
the U.S. airline with the highest punctuality rate
With 83% of their flights arriving on time as reported by aviation analysis company Cirium, they maintain a strong punctuality record.
Delta Flight 694 was one of approximately 7,691 flights that experienced delays to, from, and within the U.S. on Memorial Day, as reported by a flight tracking website.
FlightAware
Most of these delays were unrelated to pets and were actually due to multiple intense thunderstorms moving across the southeastern and central parts of the United States.
At Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, travelers faced significant disruptions as 697 flights, which accounted for 59% of all journeys, were delayed. In contrast, Denver International Airport experienced the second-highest number of delays, with 565 flights being late, constituting 53% of all trips scheduled.
In contrast, LAX performed significantly better, experiencing only 153 delays which accounted for 16% of total flights. According to AAA, more than 400,000 people from Southern California were anticipated to fly during the Memorial Day holiday period.
This tale initially surfaced in
Los Angeles Times
.
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