Summary A Delta Airbus A330neo returned to Boston due to detected fumes. The incident involved a DL 224 flight to Paris (CDG) with 236 passengers onboard. Detected fumes and unusual odor in the cabin prompted an emergency landing.
No injuries were reported. A Delta Air Lines Airbus A330neo aircraft was forced to return to Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), the United States, shortly after take-off due to fumes detected in the cabin. The aircraft was en route on a transatlantic flight to Paris (CDG) in France.
Incident overview The Delta Air Lines Airbus A330-900 aircraft was performing flight DL 224 between Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) and Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport (CDG) on August 7, 2024, when the pilots stopped the climb after detecting an unusual odor in the cabin. According to a report by Boston News , the crew declared an emergency upon returning to Boston Logan (BOS) as a precautionary measure. The widebody aircraft landed safely without any further incident, and medical personnel were on hand at the gate.
Delta Air Lines confirmed to the local media outlet that the Airbus A330Neo aircraft was carrying 236 passengers onboard. No injuries were reported. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement : “Delta Air Lines Flight 224 returned to and landed safely at Boston Logan International Airport around 9:05 p.
m. local time on Wednesday, August 7, after the crew reported possible fumes in the cabin. The Airbus A330 was headed to Paris.
The FAA will investigate. Please contact the airline for additional information.” The A330neo in question The aircraft in question is a relatively new Delta Airbus A330-900 widebody jet, registered as N401DZ.
The widebody is just 5.4 years old and was delivered in 2019, according to ch-aviation data. This A330neo aircraft can accommodate a total of 281 passengers in a four-class cabin configuration: 168 in economy class, 56 in economy plus, 28 in premium economy, and 29 in business class.
According to Flightradar24.com , the N401DZ has already been actively operating since the incident. According to the data, the Airbus A330neo is now scheduled for long-haul services from Los Angeles (LAX) to Tokyo (HND) and from Los Angeles (LAX) to Paris (CDG).
Currently, the Atlanta-based airline operates a sizable fleet of 71 Airbus A330 widebodies. In fact, the A330s make up the most significant portion of the carrier’s widebody fleet, ahead of Boeing 767s and Airbus A350 XWBs. The A330 fleet includes variants such as the A330-200, A330-300, and the latest A330-900.
Unusual cabin odors and fumes Unusual odors on commercial flights are frequently encountered and can sometimes result in flight diversions. For example, in May 2024, a Lufthansa Boeing 747-8, operating as flight LH 430 from Frankfurt Airport (FRA) to Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD), encountered an unidentifiable electric odor mid-flight, prompting its return to Germany. Passengers and crew landed safely.
Flight crews and airline staff often manage these incidents swiftly and effectively. While inconvenient for passengers, they are typically the result of minor issues and pose minimal risk to the safety of the aircraft. Now, fumes can arise when cabin air becomes contaminated with fluids like engine oil, hydraulic fluid, anti-icing fluid, or other potentially harmful chemicals.
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