Delta passengers endure flight from hell as theyre forced to camp out on plane overnight on Alabama tarmac

Delta passengers were forced to camp out onboard a plane overnight as the aircraft sat on an Alabama tarmac after adverse weather caused them to divert. 

The two Delta flights from Cabo San Lucas and Mexico City were redirected to Montgomery Regional Airport in Alabama due to weather risks on Thursday. 

Flight 1828 and Flight 599 were initially destined for Atlanta but, after landing in Alabama with no customs for international travelers, nearly 300 passengers were forced to stay on board the aircrafts all night. 

Both flights landed around 10.30pm and passengers were stuck onboard until just after 5am when customs crews were made available. Even once they disembarked, however, travelers faced a further five-hour delay with chaos inside the airport before being boarded onto a new flight to their destination. 

One Boston native, Lauren Forbes, told WCVB that she and her boyfriend were onboard one of the flights. 

Forbes said: So we ended up in Montgomery, which is not an international airport. I guess the law is that if theres no customs at the airport, you are literally stuck on that airplane. So, I just learned that today. 

The airline had hoped to make it to Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, but said it wasnt possible due to storm conditions. 

Forbes confirmed the pilot told passengers it was unable to make it to Birmingham because they were going to run out of gas.

Two Delta flights destined for Atlanta were forced to divert to Alabama, but with no customs for international travelers, nearly 300 passengers were forced to stay on board the aircrafts all night

Both flights landed around 10.30pm and passengers were stuck onboard until just after 5am as customs crews were made available

Political commentator Mike Gallagher was onboard the flight and shared updates throughout the hours-long chaos with updates to his social media   

The long hours spent stuck on the tarmac, however, left a plane full of passengers ravenous, according to Forbes, who said that the crew could only give out water and cookies. 

People would sleep, but then you were woken up by the announcements, and there was a point where people just said, you know, dont make the announcement if its going to be a lie, she added. 

As they were finally allowed off the plane, they were escorted by police into the terminal.

We had to walk out onto the tarmac, and it was freezing, and it was dark, and there were hundreds of us just standing there. 

As they were allowed inside, they were kept confined with police even guarding the bathrooms, Forbes said. 

Political commentator Mike Gallagher was a passenger on the flight and posted pictures of the nightmare scenes at the airport as he updated his followers on the grueling experience.  

Total chaos at the airport. Five gate agents overwhelmed, he wrote once the plane had landed in Montgomery. 

No one here at the Montgomery Airport knows what to do. In all the years I’ve flown, I’ve never seen anything like this in my life. 

Passengers were finally allowed to disembark the aircraft around 5am after landing at 10:30pm in Montgomery the night prior 

The airline had hoped to make it to Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, but said it wasnt possible due to storm conditions. Passenger Loraine Forbes (left) confirmed the pilot hoped to make it to Birmingham, but they were going to run out of gas

Gallagher posted an update with a picture of himself looking exhausted while waiting for passengers to take their seats before their final flight to Atlanta.   

After 12 hours at the overwhelmed Montgomery, Alabama airport - 7 hours trapped on the plane on the tarmac, 5 hours stuck in a cordoned-off area of the airport - they are now boarding people 10 at a time, Gallagher wrote. 

They are checking off names by pen, one by one. So hey, 16 hours after our original departure, theres hope! Im thinking it will take at least an hour to board.  

Forbes said that despite being offered a flight from Montgomery to Atlanta, it was up to them to re-organize their flight back home to Boston from then on. 

We shouldnt have been responsible for that, she added. 

Another passenger, Loraine Foushee, told NBC News that it was the longest day ever. 

We had pretzels, over and over again. I did take a nap - it wasnt comfortable, she added. 

Christine Millken similarly told the outlet that the experience was so frustrating, so uncomfortable, and they werent able to be offered any meals. 

Once the passengers were off the plane, Gallagher said it was total chaos at the airport 

A spokesperson for the airline said in a statement: 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 US Thursday evening. 

The spokesperson furthered that they would be reaching out to customers to offer a full refund for the booking.