A Delta Airlines flight bound for Kansas City was forced to return to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport due to a cabin pressure issue, marking the latest in a series of in-flight incidents for the airline.
Delta Flight 1660 departed from Atlanta just before 7 p.m. Wednesday but had to turn back due to concerns over cabin pressure. The aircraft landed safely back at Hartsfield-Jackson just after 8 p.m. No injuries were reported among the 177 passengers and six crew members on board, and the issue did not involve the deployment of emergency oxygen masks.
Following the incident, Delta provided a replacement aircraft, and the flight resumed its journey, arriving safely in Kansas City shortly after 11 p.m. Maintenance crews are now inspecting the original plane to determine the cause of the pressurization problem.
According to flight tracking data, the aircraft involved was a Boeing 739, the same model that experienced a similar cabin pressure issue last September on a flight out of Salt Lake City. In that incident, passengers reported discomfort and nosebleeds before the plane was forced to return.
Delta has faced multiple in-flight issues in recent months. Earlier this year, passengers had to evacuate via emergency slides at Hartsfield-Jackson in two separate incidents, one due to cabin smoke and another following an engine problem. In February, a Delta flight crash-landed in Toronto, flipping upside down upon landing and injuring 18 passengers. Fortunately, no fatalities have resulted from any of these recent mishaps.
The cause of the latest pressurization issue remains under investigation. Delta Airlines has not provided additional details but assures that passenger safety remains its top priority.