Delta flight returns to Barcelona after sustaining damage from hail
A U.S.-bound Delta Air Lines flight diverted back to Spain after the aircraft sustained “weather-related damage” caused by hail, the carrier said.
Delta flight 169 to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport returned to Barcelona shortly after takeoff on July 12.
“The flight landed safely in Barcelona and customers were reaccommodated on alternate flights to their final destinations,” the airline told Paste BN in an emailed statement. “Delta apologizes to our customers for the delay in their travels.”
The company did not have any specific details to share about the extent of the damage. The plane returned less than an hour after takeoff, circling twice before landing back at Josep Tarradellas Barcelona–El Prat Airport, according to flight-tracking website Flightradar24.
The Spanish Aviation Safety and Security Agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The incident is not the only one of its kind in recent years. Another Delta flight from Milan to New York made an emergency landing in Rome in 2023 after the plane was pummeled by hail not long after departure.
This story was updated to add new information.
Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for Paste BN based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.