Delta Air Lines flight delayed after pigeons found onboard

Delta Air Lines issued a statement saying, “Delta appreciates the careful actions of our people and our customers to safely remove two birds from the aircraft prior to departure, and we apologize to our customers for the delay in their travel.”

The pigeons were safely removed without any injuries reported. The second bird was taken out by a baggage handler while still alive.

Flight DL2348 marked its first journey of that day after being grounded for over 24 hours since its last operation from Houston to Minneapolis. Delta offers several flights between these two cities daily, with DL2348 being one of up to four daily flights on this route.

Birds pose risks in aviation due to potential bird strikes that can cause significant damage or crashes when they are outside an aircraft. Fortunately, in this case, both pigeons were inside the cabin where they could be managed more easily.

Delta's pet travel policy allows small dogs, cats, and household birds onboard under specific conditions within domestic US flights. These pets must fit in soft-sided kennels placed under seats during travel.

Incidents involving animals are not uncommon; previous cases include live mice found mid-flight or snakes appearing post-landing on different airlines' planes.

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