Hundreds of Passengers Forced to Stay on Planes Overnight After International Flights Diverted to Airport with No Customs

People ^ | Apr 12, 2025 | Rachel Raposas Rachel Raposas Headshot Rachel Raposas Rachel Raposas is a Digital News Writer at PE

[where's_the_Outrage?]

After two flights from Mexico were diverted to an airport in Alabama without customs, passengers were stuck inside the planes overnight.

The two Delta flights — Flight 1828 from Cabo San Lucas and Flight 599 from Mexico City — were redirected from their destination of Atlanta to the Montgomery Regional Airport due to weather risks on Thursday, April 10, local Alabama outlet AL.com reported.

However, the Montgomery airport has no customs and thus could not facilitate international travelers — forcing the nearly 300 passengers to remain on board the planes on the tarmac all night.

A Delta spokesperson wrote in a statement to PEOPLE, “We sincerely apologize to our customers for this experience. We fell short of how we aspire to serve and care for our customers amid thunderstorms in the Southeast U.S. Thursday evening.” We are reaching out to each customer with a full refund of their booking.”

Both flights landed around 10:30 p.m. local time, and passengers were held on board the aircrafts until after 5 a.m., at which time they were allowed to enter the regional airport. The passengers were confined and guarded inside, Boston-bound passenger Lauren Forbes, who was on board one of the planes when it was diverted, told WCVB.

“I guess the law is that if there's no customs at the airport, you are literally stuck on that airplane,” she said to the Boston news station.

[where's_the_Outrage?]

I remember a situation years ago where an AA flight was diverted from DFW because of weather to something like Abilene. This was the final destination for several passengers but AA would not let them off the plane. The pilot came on the intercom asking passengers to stop calling 911 saying they are being kidnapped.

[ComputerGuy]

At least it wasn’t Dothan.

[PAR35]

My info may be outdated, but I think Birmingham is an international airport and New Orleans is (Delta used to fly to Cuba from New Orleans). Even Jackson MS is set up for international flights. Ramp fees must be cheaper at Montgomery. Delta had to do some looking to find an airport that couldn’t accommodate the flights.

[Da Coyote]

One of N reasons (where N is a large number) why I avoid airlines like one avoids the plague and DemocRATz.

[lee martell]

This keeping passengers aboard a parked plane, often when they are but 20 steps away from entering the airport, is an old tradition and often a bit of a power struggle. It’s an old air travel tradition that needs to change.

[Dennis M.]

It is an idiotic flaw in the law. Give it a few decades and someone will be motivated enough to fix it. But what will it take to get motivated?

[eartick]

Too bad, too sad.

[T.B. Yoits]

It is an idiotic flaw in the law. Give it a few decades and someone will be motivated enough to fix it. But what will it take to get motivated?

When a web influencer gets stuck in that situation and gives a play by play in their webcast from there.

That or anonymous tips come in that there's a bomb on board and they have to do a full evacuation. Have that happen a few times and the authorities will get the message.

[Brian Griffin]

“destination of Atlanta...due to weather risks”

It might take an hour for a really bad storm to pass over Hartsfield.

There probably was no need to keep the planes at Montgomery for so long.

[BamaBelle]

Montgomery airport is not very big considering it’s in our capitol city.

[Brian Griffin]

The planes could have been refueled at Montgomery so they could stay in the air for hours in case an unexpected storm cropped up before landing at the Atlanta airport.

[EVO X]

A different article said Birmingham had bad weather also. One of the planes was in a holding pattern near Montgomery then flew up to Atlanta, but couldn’t land and flew back to Montgomery.

[pinkandgreenmom]

We already have millions of illegals. What’s a few hundred more? /s

[EVO X]

There probably was no need to keep the planes at Montgomery for so long.

The jets likely needed fuel and the fuel truck operators were gone for the day. Also with the weather delays, there likely weren't any open slots at Atlanta. The pilots may also have hit their flying time for the day.

[Lockbox]

Well could have been worse…. Dragged off plane, walked in a bowed position and all your hair clipped…. Just saying 🤣

[jagusafr]

I heard Mike Gallagher, who was on the plane talking about it with Marc Davis show Friday morning. Sounds like the crew did a very professional job.

[Pilsner]

diverted from DFW because of weather to something like Abilene. This was the final destination for several passengers but AA would not let them off the plane.

Happened to a friend of mine. Apparently the Feds classify a flight as aborted/busted (not sure of terminology) if the cabin door opens anywhere, except the destination airport. So the airlines keep the planes buttoned up on the tarmac. Seems like the Feds could change that rule, to make an exception for passengers released at their final destination.

I suspect that the airlines don’t want the rule changed, because with it they never have to make arrangements to allow any passengers to deplane, or search the hold for luggage, or deal with passengers who say “I changed my mind, I want off here.” and instead can do nothing and blame it all on the Feds.

[Libloather]

The passengers were confined and guarded inside...

Brandon did the very same thing whilst flying in his illegal aliens, no?

[pfflier]

The planes could have been refueled at Montgomery

Catch-22. You can't refuel a commercial airplane with passengers onboard.

[The Truth Will Make You Free]

Happened to me… for 2 hours. My first flight to Kabul stopped for 2 hours in Tehran. They did bring stairs, but we could only go out on the platform next to the plane. That’s the only time I’ve “been” to Iran.