Delta Air Lines flight 1307 was forced to return to the gate at New York’s LaGuardia Airport after de-icing fluid leaked into the passenger cabin, soaking one traveller and causing a lengthy delay.
The incident occurred on Sunday, 18 January, aboard an Airbus A220-100 scheduled to depart at about 2:10 p.m. local time for a two-hour flight to Jacksonville, Florida. Flight-tracking data shows the aircraft eventually departed more than three hours later after Delta substituted another plane.
According to the airline, de-icing fluid unexpectedly entered the aircraft’s fuselage after ground crews completed standard winter de-icing procedures. The liquid reached the cabin, where a passenger seated near the wing was covered in the fluid. The flight crew halted departure and requested clearance to return to the gate.
A Delta Air Lines flight headed from New York LaGuardia to Jacksonville was delayed for more than three hours after an unexpected issue forced pilots to abort their taxi to the runway. Flight DL1307, operated by an Airbus A220, had already been deiced due to freezing rain and… pic.twitter.com/BKUT3W8EVx
— aircraftmaintenancengineer (@airmainengineer) January 21, 2026
In air traffic control audio obtained by LiveATC.net, the pilot told controllers: “We’re not used to de-icing fluid coming into the fuselage like that, so we want to have maintenance take a look at it, make sure that we don’t have a leak.”
Aircraft de-icing is a routine cold-weather process in which a heated mixture of water and propylene glycol is sprayed on exterior surfaces to remove snow and ice. Ice accumulation can alter wing shape, disrupt airflow, and interfere with flight control systems. While the chemicals used are considered low in toxicity, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that repeated exposure may cause skin irritation.
@curibeepop Why Planes Get Sprayed With Orange Liquid 😳#aviation #airplane #deicing #foryoupage #Knowledge ♬ original sound – Curibee
A Delta spokesperson said only a small amount of fluid came into contact with the passenger’s clothing, describing such incidents as “very rare” and noting that the chemicals are “non-hazardous” to passengers. The affected customer continued travelling with the airline.
Out of an abundance of caution, Delta removed the aircraft from service and assigned a replacement plane. The substitute aircraft departed LaGuardia at approximately 5:20 pm and landed in Jacksonville shortly before 8:00 pm.
While winter weather frequently disrupts airline operations in the northeastern United States and in Europe, cases of de-icing fluid entering a passenger cabin remain uncommon. Airlines typically investigate such incidents to determine whether equipment performance, environmental conditions, or procedural factors were involved.
