Flight DL209 from Edinburgh to New York JFK has to be canceled on June 16th after a crew member was arrested. Sources note that this arrest occurred minutes before departure, stranding passengers of the flight.
61-year-old male arrested
As reported by Scottish media outlet The National, a Delta Air Lines flight from Edinburgh to New York had to be canceled due to the arrest of a 61-year-old crew member. The specific role held by the crew member, whether it be flight crew or cabin crew, remains unspecified. The cancelation reportedly took place approximately 30 minutes before departure. As reported by The National, an airline spokesperson issued a statement reading:
“Delta confirms that one of its crew was taken into custody this morning at EDI Airport. Delta is assisting the authorities with their ongoing enquiries…Delta’s EDI-JFK flight (June 16) has been canceled and customers are being re-accommodated. We apologize to customers impacted by this cancelation.”
Photo: GCMap.com
STV News reports that Police Scotland confirmed that the arrest involved a 61-year-old man at Edinburgh airport “in connection with the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003.” This act is broad but notably covers the use of alcohol and drugs as it relates to aviation. However, the reasons for the June 16th arrest remain unknown.
Delta Air Lines’ service to Edinburgh
Delta operates daily service to Edinburgh from a handful of US cities, including New York, Boston, and Atlanta. Services from all three US cities utilize the Boeing 767-300ER.
Photo: Delta Air Lines
The airline has several configurations for the 767-300, but if we take June 16th’s flight as an example, the aircraft registered N196DN has the seating layout known as “76Z.” This configuration sees 226 seats in two classes. 26 seats are “Delta One” lie-flat seats, while the remaining 200 are economy class. Economy class can be further divided, with 35 seats offering extra legroom as “Delta Comfort+” and the remaining 165 seats being the most basic form of economy class.
As for the recovery of the canceled flight, it is unknown how passengers were managed in the aftermath of the ordeal. However, as the flight to JFK is the first Delta service of the day to depart Edinburgh, it’s possible that some passengers could have been rebooked to another Delta flight heading to the United States. Indeed, flight DL35 to Atlanta departs approximately 90 minutes after DL209. DL123 to Boston could have been another option, as the service departs a full three hours after the JFK service. Once stateside, the airline would have an easier time getting passengers to JFK or other cities in the US.
What do you think of this incident? What role do you think this crew member held, and what could the offense have been? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment.
Sources: The National, FlightRadar24.com, STV
Delta is not keen on an equal split compromise either. Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying
Delta Air Lines
- IATA/ICAO Code:
- DL/DAL
- Airline Type:
- Full Service Carrier
- Hub(s):
- Boston Logan International Airport, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, New York JFK Airport, LaGuardia Airport, Salt Lake City International Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
- Year Founded:
- 1929
- Alliance:
- SkyTeam
- CEO:
- Ed Bastian
- Country:
- United States
