Birds on the loose: Pigeons cause chaos for Delta flight

Chaos briefly unfolded aboard a Delta Air flight from Minneapolis to Madison, Wisconsin, moments before takeoff when passengers discovered that the aircraft had unexpected stowaways, two pigeons flapping around the cabin.

The incident on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, led to a mix of confusion and amusement as passengers and crew attempted to manage the unexpected intruders before the plane could depart.

The drama was first reported by passenger Tom Caw, an Instagram user who shared a video of the scene on social media.

According to Caw, the situation began when another traveler alerted a flight attendant to the presence of a pigeon inside the plane.

In response, the pilot made an announcement over the intercom, confirming the odd report.

“The pilot got on the mic and confirmed a pigeon was on the plane,” Caw wrote.

He also added that the pilot admitted he had never encountered such a situation before.

Soon after the announcement, airport personnel boarded the aircraft and successfully removed the first pigeon.

The action that was met with applause from relieved and entertained passengers.

However, the situation took another unexpected turn.

As the plane taxied toward the runway for takeoff, a second pigeon suddenly emerged, reigniting the commotion.

In Caw’s words, “The plane eventually pulled away and began taxiing to the runway.

And then another pigeon emerged!” The second bird’s appearance once again sent the cabin into a state of mild chaos.

Footage shared online captured the tense yet humorous moments that followed.

One video shows a passenger trying to herd the pigeon by holding up a jacket as a makeshift barrier.

The bird, flapping toward the rear of the aircraft, drops to the floor while startled passengers react, with at least one screaming in surprise.

Audio recordings of air traffic control communications, obtained by CNN, captured the reaction of the amused controller speaking to the pilot.

In a light-hearted tone, the controller repeated the report: “There’s a pigeon on the airplane, and it won’t go away.”

He added, “That’s a first for me, wow.”

According to Caw, the pilot relayed this exchange back to the passengers and noted that, remarkably, it was actually his second pigeon-related incident that day, the first occurring just 30 minutes prior.

Once again, the aircraft had to return to the gate, where airport staff successfully removed the second bird without further incident.

Only after this second removal could the plane resume its journey.

Delta Air Lines later released an official statement addressing the bizarre incident.

The airline apologized for the inconvenience and praised the efforts of both the crew and passengers in safely resolving the matter.

“Delta appreciates the careful actions of our people and our customers to safely remove two birds from the aircraft prior to departure,” the statement read.

Though the flight itself was short, roughly an hour between Minneapolis and Madison, the unusual delay became the most memorable part of the journey.

Caw made light of the situation in his social media post, noting that the pigeons might have been unaware of the brevity of the flight.

“They didn’t know this flight to [Madison] is too short for Delta to offer beverage/snack service,” he joked.

The entire episode, while disruptive, ended safely and even added a dose of levity to the travel experience.

It highlighted an unusual and rare occurrence in air travel, two birds making it into the cabin of a commercial flight, not once but twice in a single journey.

Such incidents are far from typical.

They serve as a reminder of the unpredictable nature of travel and the quick thinking sometimes required from both airline staff and passengers alike.

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