Delta Paris-Seattle flight diverts twice, lands 10 hours late after sewage leak
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Delta Air Lines flight DL81 from Paris Charles de Gaulle to Seattle-Tacoma arrived more than 10 hours late early this morning after making stops at London Heathrow and New York JFK. The Airbus A330-900 first paused in London after a sewage leak, then in New York for a crew change. Passengers were left with limited catering after the initial meals were discarded.
Cabin Sewage Leak
Flight DL81 departed Paris Charles de Gaulle at 4:30 PM local time and landed at London Heathrow at 5:08 PM, according to Flightradar24. View From The Wing reported the leak began shortly after departure as the aircraft flew northwest over the English Midlands. The affected toilet had been worked on in Paris before takeoff. Liquid spread through the cabin carpet, and passengers were unable to deplane while cleaning work took place. The Airbus A330-900, registered N410DZ, took off again at 7:55 PM local time, just under three hours after landing.
Second Diversion and Crew Limits
The service later paused at John F Kennedy International Airport in New York for a crew change. Delta Air Lines included the New York stop in the onward filing because the original pilots and flight attendants did not have enough duty hours remaining to reach Seattle. The flight arrived at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport at 4:00 AM, more than 10 hours behind its scheduled 5:34 PM landing. Passengers did not receive a full complement of inflight meals after the initial meals were discarded as spoiled due to the leak. Replacements were not loaded at Heathrow, leaving customers largely limited to pre-arrival snacks.
Delta Statement
A Delta spokesperson said the diversions and limited meals were 'not the experience we strive to provide' and that the airline was focused on getting customers to destinations as quickly and safely as possible. The airline did not say whether affected passengers would receive compensation or meal vouchers. Flight DL81 is a daily service between Paris Charles de Gaulle and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
What's Next
Delta has not said whether the next DL81 departure from Paris, set for 4:00 PM local time, will operate on schedule. It remains unclear whether the cabin leak and crew hour limits will prompt changes to the daily service.
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Delta Paris-Seattle flight diverts twice, lands 10 hours late after sewage leak
