DOT Investigating Delta Air Lines Over Las Vegas Flight Delay Amid Extreme Heat

by Rich Thomaselli
Last updated: 3:20 PM ET, Sat July 22, 2023

Las Vegas, like the rest of the country, is battling searing heat. Temperatures have reached the triple digits for three weeks straight.

Now the Department of Transportation (DOT) is wondering why a flight was delayed so long in that heat while on the tarmac. DOT is launching an investigation into Delta Air Lines regarding the July 17 incident.

The flight was bound for Atlanta and was eventually canceled. After three hours on the runway, passengers were let back into the terminal where it was far cooler than the 111-degree outside temperature during the day.

Fox News field producer Krista Garvin was on the flight and tweeted live during the incident. "Paramedics are on now. I've seen a total of three people wheeled out so far. Oxygen tanks are being pulled out," wrote Garvin. "They said to press your call button if you need medical assistance."

"We are aware of the DOT's investigation into what took place on DL555 on July 17, and we are working in full cooperation with them," Delta said in a statement. "Delta teams are looking into the circumstances that led to uncomfortable temperatures inside the cabin, and we appreciate the efforts of our people and first responders at Harry Reid International."

DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg was interviewed shortly after the incident and told Reuters: "The reports are shocking and we are investigating. I want to know how it was possible for passengers to be left in triple-digit heat onboard an aircraft for that long. Even at normal temperatures a tarmac delay is not supposed to go that long and we have rules about that, which we are actively enforcing right now."