Frankfurt-bound Delta flight diverts to Syracuse

A Delta Air Lines flight bound for Frankfurt from Detroit made an unplanned diversion into Syracuse, NY yesterday.

Delta Air Lines flight DL86, an Airbus A330 from Detroit (DTW) to Frankfurt am Main (FRA) diverted to Syracuse (SYR). It is understood the aircraft made the precautionary diversion due to a technical issue.

Delta DL86 Detroit-Frankfurt

Flight DL86 made an on-time departure from Detroit (DTW) at 17:52 local time on 27 February. After a normal departure, the flight proceeded as planned, climbing to cruising level FL370 (37,000 feet).

However, whilst cruising less than an hour from departure and still in US airspace the crew then initiated the diversion.

An engine issue was understood to be the cause of the problem, as per AirLive.

Diversion to Syracuse (SYR)

After initiating the change of course for nearby Syracuse Hancock International Airport (SYR), the aircraft began its descent from FL370.

Flight crew carried out the diversion under normal operating procedures, and did not activate emergency transponder code 7700.

Emergency vehicles met and accompanied the flight as a precautionary measure on its arrival. The ground crew safely guided the aircraft to the ramp after its successful landing.

Operating the long-haul DL86 flight to Frankfurt was an Airbus A330-200, registered N861NW. The aircraft is an 18-year old widebody belonging to the US carrier Delta Air Lines.

Onwards flight Syracuse-Frankfurt

Flight data shows that the onwards DL68 service to Frankfurt from the diversion airport of Syracuse took place today, 28 February.

A substitute aircraft is flying the onwards journey to Frankfurt, Germany. The substitute aircraft was Airbus A330-200 registration N860NW.

This flight is currently en route to the destination airport FRA at the time of writing.

Update 14:30 UTC

The substitute aircraft made a departure from Syracuse this morning at 04:17 local time. With approximately two hours to arrival the onwards flight is now nearing the United Kingdom en route.

Delta Long-haul Operations

Delta Air Lines offers long-haul services to Frankfurt, Germany from several different cities in the United States, including

• Atlanta,
• Detroit,
• Seattle, and
• New York.

Flights time for the long-haul transatlantic service is typically between 8 and 10 hours.

Delta Air Lines operates three variations of the Airbus A330 aircraft: the A330-200, A330-300, and the newer A330-900neo.

• Airbus A330-200: This is the smallest of the three variants, with a capacity for up to 293 passengers in a three-class configuration (Delta One, Delta Comfort+, and Main Cabin). It has a range of up to 7,275 miles (11,708 km).
• Airbus A330-300: This variant is slightly larger than the A330-200, with a capacity for up to 302 passengers. It has a range of up to 6,330 miles (10,187 km).
• Airbus A330-900neo: This is the largest and most fuel-efficient variant of the A330 that Delta operates. It has a capacity for up to 281 passengers in a three-class configuration and a range of up to 6,995 miles (11,257 km).

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