A Delta Air Lines plane blew two tires upon landing at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on Thursday.
The MD-88 blew the two tires when landing at 8:04 a.m. on Runway 9R.
The 91 passengers exited the plane via air stairs and boarded a bus to the terminal.
Delta issued a statement apologizing to customers of Flight 1481 for the delay, and said it “extended a gesture of goodwill to customers for the inconvenience,” in the form of miles or travel vouchers. The airline said Thursday afternoon the cause of the deflated right landing gear tires was unknown.
Runway 9R was closed for nearly two hours Thursday morning while maintenance crews changed the tires and towed the plane away. The disabled aircraft on the runway caused departure delays of 15 to 29 minutes at the world's busiest airport, which has a total of five runways.
The Federal Aviation Administration said it will investigate the incident.
Separately, there was a ground stop at Hartsfield-Jackson early Thursday morning as a precautionary measure due to a fire alarm at the air traffic control tower.
About the Author
