Pigeons Ground Delta Flight in Minneapolis with Mid-Cabin Chaos

A Delta flight turned into an unexpected aviary adventure when not one, but two pigeons decided to join passengers on board in Minneapolis. On Saturday night, Delta Flight 2348, bound for Madison, Wisconsin, was grounded for nearly an hour after a feathered stowaway caused a stir in the cabin. A video captured the chaos: one passenger shrieked as a man heroically attempted to wrangle the bird with his coat.

Passenger Tom Caw shared the tale on Instagram, noting the pilot’s announcement that a pigeon was loose on the plane—a first for the crew. Baggage handlers eventually escorted the bird off to applause, with one curious young passenger asking to pet it. But the drama didn’t end there. As the Airbus A220 began taxiing, a second pigeon swooped through the cabin, sending the plane back to the gate. The pilot, now a seasoned pigeon-wrangler, radioed the control tower, who admitted this was a first for them too.

Delta issued a statement praising the quick thinking of their team and passengers in safely removing the birds, apologizing for the delay to the 119 passengers and five crew members. No word on whether the pigeons were after Delta’s snacks or just hitching a ride to Wisconsin.