Passengers on a Delta Air Lines flight experienced a highly unusual delay—not once, but twice—due to an unexpected 'flyers'. Two pigeons managed to find their way onto the aircraft, sparking chaos among passengers.
The bizarre episode occurred on Delta Flight 2348, which was scheduled to travel from Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) to Madison, Wisconsin. According to a traveller named Tom Caw, who documented the incident and shared a video online, the commotion began even before takeoff.
“When I boarded Delta Flight 2348 at MSP tonight, I overheard another passenger tell a flight attendant there was a pigeon on the plane” Caw recounted. “The pilot got on the mic and confirmed a pigeon was on the plane, and said he had no experience with this situation", he added.
Trigger warning for those with fear of birds; Watch video
Birds rescued
Ground staff were called in and successfully removed the first bird, to the relief of seated passengers.
However, just as the aircraft began preparing for takeoff, a second pigeon made an unexpected appearance, flying through the cabin and startling passengers once more. The plane was forced to return to the gate again so that the second intruder could also be escorted off.
Pilot's reaction
“Pilot said when he radioed the control tower about us coming back due to a pigeon, the guy said that was a first for him. Pilot told him it was the second time for him—the first being half an hour earlier,” Caw shared.
Videos from the flight captured a passenger using his jacket in an attempt to catch the startled bird while others looked on in confusion. The second pigeon was eventually caught by baggage handlers and removed from the plane unharmed.
More details
Caw jokingly speculated that the birds were simply tired of flying on their own and looking for snacks—unaware that the short flight didn’t even include in-flight service.
"My guess is the pigeons were tired of flying and wanted snacks. They didn’t know this flight to MSN is too short for Delta to offer beverage/snack service", his post read further.
Delta Airlines has not issued an official statement on the event, but the video has since gone viral, with many users sharing it across social media platforms.
