Summary
- Delta Flight 5062 from the Bahamas to Atlanta was diverted to Savannah due to bad weather
- Passengers were left on the tarmac for over four hours without food, water, or access to bathrooms.
- The lack of customs officers prevented passengers from leaving the aircraft.
On August 12, a Delta Air Lines flight from the Bahamas to Atlanta, Georgia, was diverted to Savannah, Georgia, due to inclement weather. The diversion left passengers stuck on the tarmac for four hours without food, water, or access to the bathrooms. Troubled passengers had to wait it out in the airplane due to the lack of customs personnel at the airport.
Delta Flight 5062
On Saturday, August 12, Delta Flight 5062 took off from North Eleuthera, Bahamas, at 15:15 hours local time, bound for Atlanta’s Hartsfield Jackson International Airport (ATL) in Georgia. Bad weather conditions near the destination forced the pilots to perform a diversion into the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (SAV) in Savannah, Georgia.
The flight crew was unauthorized to let passengers out for over four hours due to the lack of customs officers at the terminal. There were two other Delta flights originally scheduled for ATL also diverted to Savannah. A Delta spokesperson said in a statement to the WJCL 22 News,
Flight 5062 from Eleuthera, Bahamas, to Atlanta diverted to Savannah due to inclement weather. Limited accessibility of airport customs agents resulted in the flight crew not being authorized to allow customers to exit the aircraft for an extended period of time. Delta apologizes for the inconvenience to our customers, and we are reviewing the circumstances that led to the unfortunate cabin experience.
Another Delta spokesperson said that there were only two customs workers at the airport in Savannah, and other Delta flights were also diverted to the southeastern Georgia airport.
Traumatic passenger experience
A passenger on Flight 5062, Lizzy Phillips, told WJCL that the plane was on the tarmac in Savannah for four hours without access to water, food, or bathrooms, adding:
"It was just supposed to be a quick hour and a half flight, so you don’t bring a lot of food and extra provisions."
The diverted flight landed in Savannah at 18:09 hours. The onboard passengers were left without any provisions for nearly three hours when the flight crew announced the distribution of snacks and beverages. Around 21:00 hours, flight attendants handed snacks and refreshments to the passengers. Phillips further stated that,
"One operating bathroom ended up overflowing and went out of service at around 8:45 p.m." Phillips also said her child used the bathroom in a bag in a galley area of the plane. She opened up the door and said oh my god, the toilet is overflowing.
Passengers like Phillips showed their disappointment with the situation and the way the airline handled it. While the crew was not authorized to let people out, a better protocol must be in place to provide a better cabin experience for stranded passengers. According to Phillips,
"I can’t believe there isn’t a protocol for situations like this, as this situation is unprecedented. I’ve never heard of it like this when so many things went wrong."
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More than four hours after touchdown at Savannah, passengers were able to exit the aircraft at around 22:20 hours.
What are your thoughts on the situation of stranded passengers onboard the Delta Air Lines flight in Savannah? Tell us in the comments section.