Delta flight makes emergency landing in Newfoundland

267 passengers and 13 crew land in St. John's after engine problem discovered

Published Aug 24, 2026  •  2 minute read

A Delta Airlines flight Photo by Getty Images

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A Delta Airlines flight carrying 280 people made an emergency landing in St. John’s on Sunday after the plane had a problem with an engine, CBC reported.

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No injuries were reported. St. John’s Airport spokesperson Ryan Howell said in a statement that all passengers were evacuated from the aircraft and waited for another. The 267 passengers and 13 crew boarded a new aircraft Monday morning to take them back to New York.

Delta sent a statement to the network saying it followed standard diversion procedures and is now evaluating the aircraft to discover what went wrong. The airline also said that the passengers were given meal vouchers and it is currently working on appropriate compensation.

Operation Yellow Ribbon

Amid recent tensions between Canada and the United States, the recent Delta landing in Newfoundland hearkens back to Sept. 11, 2001, when hundreds of U.S.-bound flights were forced to divert to Canada because American airspace was closed in the wake of the terror attacks. Dubbed Operation Yellow Ribbon, 17 airports across Canada opened its runways to land as many as 240 diverted American flights and 33,000 displaced passengers, with Gander airport in Newfoundland playing an integral part in the operation.

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Gander, a city of 10,000 people, welcomed 6,500 people on Sept. 11. The people of that city displayed remarkable hospitality to American friends and neighbours, opening their schools, community centres and even their homes to provide shelter, food and support to Americans stranded and traumatized by the terror attacks. The day was immortalized in the Broadway musical Come From Away, and the documentary, You Are Here.

“Operation Yellow Ribbon stands as a testament to international cooperation and the strength of human kindness in times of crisis. The swift actions of Canadian authorities and the heartfelt response from communities like Gander provided solace during a period of profound uncertainty, leaving an indelible mark on all who were touched by this act of goodwill,” the U.S. website the911legacy.org says.

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