US plane makes dramatic ‘emergency landing’ at remote Canadian base. Here’s why...

Over 200 US-based Delta Airlines passengers endured an agonising 36-hour ordeal after their flight from Amsterdam made an abrupt emergency landing in northern Canada.

US-based Delta Airlines makes emergency landing in Canadian base

Delta Flight 135, carrying 270 customers and crew, was diverted on Sunday to a rural airport in Newfoundland amid "technical issues", the airline stated.

The small town of Happy Valley-Goose Bay, home to a Canadian Forces base, lies off the beaten track with under 10,000 residents. But its lengthy runway provided a haven for the stricken aircraft.

Ordeal for passengers

After touching down, passengers remained trapped onboard for hours in freezing temperatures as mechanics assessed the fault. With some travellers lacking warm clothing, they went over 15 hours without a proper meal.

Delta dispatched a rescue flight to retrieve them Sunday evening. But after reboarding a replacement plane, passengers learned the crew had exceeded their permitted duty hours. Howls of disbelief no doubt rang out as the flight was scrubbed.

With the airport suspending operations for the night, the town rallied to assist the visitors. Canadian customs officiated as groups were transported to sparse military barracks to grab a brief rest.

Here’s what stranded passenger said on this ordeal:

One stranded passenger, Shikha Joshi, described receiving keys to basic accommodation where they slept for around two hours. A bus later transferred them to another aircraft in the early hours.

After further painful delays, the flight finally departed Goose Bay on Monday morning bound for Detroit. The sorry saga concluded over 24 hours after the initial emergency landing.

Delta airline apologises

In a statement, Delta apologised for the multi-day debacle and blamed it on weather challenges and complex crew fatigue regulations. The airline confirmed passengers would receive compensation.

Aviation authorities will now investigate what forced Flight 135 off course in the first place. Details remain scarce regarding the technical fault which started the cascading series of problems.

But serious questions have emerged over contingency planning for such remote diversions. And scrutiny will focus on whether Delta provided sufficient emergency resources to cope with such an extreme disruption.

After braving almost two days of travel chaos not of their making, the travellers of Flight 135 will be thankful to once again have their feet on the ground.