Delta jet makes emergency landing in Portugal after smoke detected in cabin
A Delta Air Lines flight from Barcelona to Boston made an emergency landing in Porto, Portugal, on Sunday after smoke or fumes were detected in the cabin; sources give differing figures on how many passengers were hospitalized.
What happened
On Sunday, September 27, Delta Air Lines flight 251 from Barcelona to Boston was forced to divert to Porto airport in Portugal after smoke or a burning smell was detected in the cabin. The Airbus A330-300, carrying 283 passengers and 13 crew members, landed safely, according to Delta spokesperson Grant Myatt. FlightAware data show the aircraft departed Barcelona–El Prat Airport around 3:15 p.m. and landed in Porto three hours and 44 minutes later. Delta described the cause as a "reported mechanical issue," while Portugal's civil protection service said the exact cause of the incident was not immediately known.
Conflicting figures on the injured
Sources disagree on how many people were affected. Portugal's civil protection service, as cited by AFP and CBS News, said 14 passengers needed assistance after landing — eight were treated on the tarmac, while four were taken to hospital with mild smoke inhalation. The Boston Globe, however, citing Delta officials, reported that three passengers were hospitalized and had been discharged by Monday, while two crew members also sought medical attention. The Portuguese newspaper Jornal de Notícias reported that as many as 14 people received care on the tarmac, a figure consistent with the civil protection service's count.
Context
Delta said it is working to rebook passengers onto other flights to get them to their destinations as safely and quickly as possible. The airline stressed that smoke, fume, or odor events aboard aircraft are rare but are taken seriously, noting such odors can originate from many sources. According to the Boston Globe, the incident occurred just days after another Delta flight, departing Boston's Logan Airport for London, turned back Thursday night following reports of an odor on board — on a different aircraft type, with no further details released. CBS News, citing Reuters, added that Delta experienced four emergency landings within a one-week span — two linked to cabin fumes and two to apparent cabin pressurization issues. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) notes that cabin air quality is generally as good as or better than that of offices and homes, though in rare cases mechanical failures can allow fumes to enter the cabin.
