Delta faces third scare in days as cockpit window opens during takeoff, forcing abort

Delta Air Lines faced its third incident in as many days on Wednesday when a cockpit window opened on a Boeing 737 during takeoff from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, forcing the flight to abort. Delta Flight 2261, bound for Las Vegas, was rolling down the runway at low speed when the cockpit window opened unexpectedly. The plane carried 149 passengers and six crew members, and the crew elected to suspend the takeoff and return to the gate as a precaution. A recording from the aircraft obtained by CNN captured the pilot telling air traffic control, "No need for crash fire rescue, we just need to run a checklist. We had a window come open."

Passengers deplaned and were reboarded onto a second aircraft, and the original departure time was postponed by about two hours. Delta Flight Status shows the flight was originally scheduled to depart at 7:22 a.m. and to arrive in Las Vegas at 8:45 a.m., but left Minneapolis at 9:10 a.m. and arrived after 10 a.m.

Delta said in a statement to Daily Mail that safety is paramount and that the flight crew followed training to safely suspend takeoff following a mechanical issue in the flight deck. The airline added that it apologizes for the delay in travel plans, and the plane is now under evaluation by Delta's maintenance team.

The incident comes as Delta faces a wave of problems this week tied to its operations out of its Atlanta hub. Earlier this week, two Delta flights caught fire after departing Atlanta. One Delta flight bound for Nigeria experienced a smoking engine while still on the runway and did not take off. Three days earlier, another flight from Atlanta to Sacramento appeared to have sparks from its engine shortly after takeoff; passengers captured video of the blaze as the plane returned to the airport. Officials have not linked the episodes, but together they have raised questions about the airline’s safety safeguards and maintenance oversight.

Experts note that cockpit windows on commercial airliners can be opened on the ground for ventilation, a feature designed primarily for ground-level airflow. In flight, though, cabin pressure keeps them sealed. The Minneapolis incident occurred while the aircraft was on the ground and moving, not in flight, which limited any potential exposure to pressurization-related issues. Delta said the aircraft involved in the Minneapolis event is under the watch of its maintenance team as investigations continue, and it pledged to share updates as they become available.