Summary

  • A Delta Air Lines flight from Detroit to Amsterdam diverted to New York on Wednesday due to spoiled food.
  • Hot dishes on flights have strict time limits for serving.
  • Delta is investigating the incident and rebooked passengers on alternate flights.

Delta Air Lines has apologized after a long-haul flight from Detroit to Amsterdam had spoiled food onboard. The flight departed late Tuesday night, but diverted to New York City early Wednesday morning after discovering the inflight meals in the main cabin had gone bad.

Food and beverages on a long-haul flight are essential to a passenger’s overall experience. While all meals are specially curated, hot dishes prepared to be served onboard typically adhere to a stricter time limit compared to food served cold.

Incident details

According to ABC 7 New York, DL136 was headed to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS) from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) with 277 passengers onboard. FlightAware data shows the aircraft, an Airbus A330-300, left its gate at DTW at 22:51 on Tuesday. The plane flew northeast for the next four hours, reaching northern Newfoundland, before turning back around and heading southwest.

DL136 July 2, 2024

Photo: Flightradar24

After discovering the food was spoiled, the flight crew reportedly consulted with medical professionals, who recommended a diversion to New York. At 03:59, the aircraft landed safely at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and arrived at the gate 10 minutes later, at 04:09.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ), the owner and operator of JFK, reportedly said 14 passengers and 10 crew members were treated by emergency responders when the flight landed, but none required hospitalization. However, the exact number of people who consumed the spoiled food is not clear. Nonetheless, Delta released a statement confirming the incident.

“Delta flight 136 from Detroit to Amsterdam diverted to New York’s JFK early Wednesday morning after reports that a portion of the Main Cabin in-flight meal service were spoiled. […]. This is not the service Delta is known for and we sincerely apologize to our customers for the inconvenience and delay in their travels.”

“May have been in a freezer for a month”

Whether served cold or hot, airlines have a variety of dishes to choose from when it comes to inflight meal service. However, hot dishes typically have a strict time limit to be served since they are prepared beforehand. According to Travel+Leisure, all hot food items are cooked until they reach a core temperature of around 149 degrees Fahrenheit. After they are made, they are chilled and barcoded with their quality and temperature.

Delta Air Lines Summer 2024 inflight menu.

Photo: Delta Air Lines

In some cases, food may be frozen after being prepared to increase longevity. One Airliners.net forum user explained that meals could be stored for up to 30 days.

“A lot of our food is cooked at main base catering, then frozen and shipped abroad. The breakfast you are eating may have been in a freezer for a month.”

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Chefs reportedly prepare meals eight hours before a flight, and hot dishes typically have a shelf life of 72 hours. Since open-flame grills are prohibited by safety regulations on commercial aircraft, cabin crew members reheat the food using convection ovens onboard. Simple Flying reached out to Delta to learn more about its catering process, but a spokesperson only said the carrier is currently investigating.

“Delta’s Food Safety team has engaged our suppliers to immediately isolate the product and launch a thorough investigation into the incident,” they stated.

Rebooking passengers

DL136 was subsequently canceled, and all passengers were rebooked on alternate flights out of JFK on Wednesday to their final destinations. According to Flightradar24, the aircraft’s registration is N816NW. It sat on the ground at JFK for about 16 hours before being ferried to AMS on Wednesday night as DL9890.

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Before operating as DL136, the plane last flew passengers on Tuesday as DL75 from AMS to Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL). Flight data shows it was then ferried from ATL to DTW as DL9977 and arrived at 20:40 on Tuesday.

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