Multiple Atlanta Fire and Rescue Department units and police officers park outside a Delta maintenance facility near Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport early Tuesday morning, Aug. 27, 2024 in Atlanta.
John Spink/AP/Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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John Spink/AP/Atlanta Journal-Constitution
ATLANTA — Two workers were killed and another was seriously injured Tuesday in a tire explosion at a Delta Air Lines maintenance facility near the Atlanta airport.
Delta said the explosion occurred while wheel components were being removed for maintenance at a wheel and brake shop. The components were not attached to the aircraft at the time, the airline said.
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration said it has opened an investigation. Delta said it is working with authorities and the cause of the explosion has not yet been released.
Several Atlanta fire and police units responded to a maintenance hangar near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport shortly after 5 a.m. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. The airport said flights were not affected and Delta said its maintenance operations were not affected.
“The Delta family is deeply saddened by the loss of two team members and the injury of another following an incident this morning at our Atlanta Technical Maintenance facility,” Delta said in a statement. “We offer our full support to the families and colleagues during this incredibly difficult time.”
Delta thanked first responders and medical staff, and said the injured worker was still receiving medical care late Tuesday afternoon.
“We are currently working with local authorities and conducting a full investigation to determine what happened,” the Atlanta-based airline said.
The Federal Aviation Administration said it has been in contact with Delta, but the FAA has referred requests for more information about the apparent accident to the airline. Eric Lucero, a spokesman for OSHA, said the federal workplace safety agency has launched an investigation.
The facility where the explosion occurred is part of Delta TechOps, which performs maintenance, repair and overhaul work for Delta and more than 150 airline and carrier customers worldwide.
Delta’s executive vice president of TechOps, John Laughter, said in a note to employees that the airline will deploy consultants to staff.
“We are all in this together and we will get through this by supporting each other,” he said.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens posted on X to offer his condolences to the victims’ loved ones.
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, which is trying to organize 20,000 ground staff at Delta, a non-union airline, called on the airline and authorities to “promptly conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of this incident.”
