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HOUSTON (KIAH) – An early morning Delta Air Lines flight departing from William P. Hobby Airport on Wednesday had to make an unexpected return after what authorities initially described as a potential cockpit breach.
The Houston Police Department responded to the aircraft following reports of a disturbance. They informed Nexstar’s KIAH that an attempted breach of the cockpit was reported. However, further details regarding the incident or those involved have not been disclosed by the authorities.
In a statement provided to KIAH, Delta explained that Flight 2557 en route from Houston (HOU) to Atlanta (ATL) turned back shortly after its early morning takeoff, around 5:25 a.m. local time. The decision was prompted by a passenger’s “unruly and unlawful behavior” directed at fellow passengers.
A Delta spokesperson clarified, “We can confirm that the individual approached both crew and passengers but did not attempt to make contact with or gain access to the flight deck.” The flight was declared an emergency to ensure priority handling and landed safely, where law enforcement was waiting.
The plane, a Boeing 717, was carrying 85 passengers and five crew members. After addressing the situation, it resumed its journey, albeit about 90 minutes behind its original schedule, with an expected arrival in Atlanta.
“The safety of our customers and crew is paramount, and Delta has zero tolerance for unruly behavior. We apologize to our customers for this experience and delay in their travels,” the airline said.
Delta deferred further comment to law enforcement.