The plane released 6 tons of fuel over dozens of homes… the company will pay 78.75 million dollars

2025-09-09 23:55:15Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
The plane released 6 tons of fuel over dozens of homes… the company will
A Delta Airlines plane

It's been five years since one of the most controversial and controversial incidents in American aviation occurred in January 2020, when China was building temporary hospitals to deal with a still-unknown virus that would later become a global pandemic.

A Delta Airlines plane, bound for Shanghai from Los Angeles, encountered difficulties in taking off due to its weight. To avoid an emergency landing with excess weight, the pilot decided to release over six tons of fuel into the air. The plane returned to Los Angeles airport, but the maneuver had serious consequences: tens of thousands of homes and schools in the area were affected by fuel rain.

Residents filed a class action lawsuit, accusing the company of dumping fuel in a populated area and at very low altitude, when there were safer alternatives – such as the Pacific Ocean or burning fuel while flying in circles.

After a years-long legal battle, Delta Airlines agreed to pay $78.75 million (€67 million), which will be divided among affected residents and property owners.

However, the company continues to defend the pilots, stressing that they operated in accordance with federal regulations and FAA-approved training. Even the Federal Aviation Administration itself, after an investigation, cleared them of any wrongdoing.


Video