A Delta flight from Atlanta to Barcelona was forced to turn around after a passenger on board suffered a bout of diarrhea which ‘ran all the way through the plane’.

Flight DL194 had already departed Georgia on schedule at 8:47 pm, Friday September 1, and was over Virginia when the pilots decided to abandon the journey.

In a text message sent to Air Traffic Control, the captain was succinct in explaining the problem: ‘Divert to ATL — passenger diarrhea all over aircraft — biohazard.’

Air traffic control audio recordings also reveal one of the pilots confirming the situation over the radio.

‘It’s just a biohazard issue, we had a passenger who had diarrhea all the way through the airplane so they want us to come back to Atlanta.’ 

A Delta Air Lines flight from Atlanta to Barcelona was forced to turn around after a passenger on board suffered a bout of diarrhea which ‘ran all the way through the plane’. Pictured, an FAA flight strip in which the crew relayed details

The aircraft, and A350 bound for Barcelona returned to Atlanta and underwent a five hour cleanup operation in which the carpet had to be removed (file photo)

The situation was distressing for both passengers and crew. Some with knowledge of the situation posted to social media.

‘My partner was on that flight! It was pretty bad. It was dribbled down the aisle, smelled horrible.

‘The vanilla scented disinfectant used on it only made it smell like vanilla s***. After the plane landed, it was thoroughly cleaned. They didn’t leave until around 2:30am’, wrote Dee W.

‘The flight was met by emergency vehicles and EMTs carried the sick passenger off the plane.

‘My partner said the plane was cleaner when they got back on at 2am than it was the first time they got on. No smell either.’

Another passenger onboard the Airbus A350 aircraft also praised the cleanup operation.

‘Both my wife and I were on the flight. It was a mess. The pilots made the right decision to turn around. The ground crew ripped out the carpet and put new in.

‘Considering the circumstances, the ground crew did a great job, along the attendants and the pilots,’ wrote John Hurdt.

The plane was only one hour into its journey when it was forced to turn around

One passenger praised the crew and cleanup staff with how they dealt with the situation

Some with knowledge of the situation posted to social media

Upon landing back in Atlanta, focus shifted to addressing the ‘biohazard’ issue through a thorough cleaning of the aircraft.

Fortunately for passengers, the flight was not entirely canceled. 

The aircraft touched down in Atlanta at 10:40pm and eventually resumed its journey to Spain just over five hours later at 3am.

Following an 8-hour and 13-minute flight, the plane finally landed in Barcelona at 5:10pm – eight hours behind schedule. 

While Delta acknowledged the flight encountered an unexpected medical even, the airline remained tight-lipped about the specifics. 

‘Our teams worked as quickly and safely as possible to thoroughly clean the airplane and get our customers to their final destination.

‘We sincerely apologize to our customers for the delay and inconvenience to their travel plans,’ the airline wrote in a statement.

A woman was offered $1,800 from Delta Airlines after they lost her dog at Hartsfield- Jackson Atlanta Airport in Georgia on August 18.

Paula Rodriguez booked a flight to San Francisco from the Dominican Republic with her dog Maia for a two-week long vacation. 

During their layover in Georgia, Rodriguez was soon informed that her tourist visa ‘didn’t meet requirements’. 

Her visa was then canceled as border control staff told her she had to go back home on the next flight which wasn’t until the following day. 

The border patrol staff then moved her to a detention center to stay in overnight. 

Maia, Paula’s six-year-old dog never reunited with her owner after being split up in the Hartfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on August 18

Because of US regulations Rodriguez was not allowed to stay at the airport to wait for her dog and had to get on the flight back home without her

Mia still hasn’t been found and Delta Airlines reached out to Rodriguez and offered compensation of $1,800 which her attorney’s called an ‘insult’

In this time she was not able to have her dog back and was told she would get that opportunity once she touches back down in the Dominican Republic. 

According to New York Post Delta promised to keep an eye on Rodriguez’s six-year-old dog while she awaited deportation.

Their new flight back home was scheduled for 10.20am the following day where she was told her and her beloved pup would reunite, but Maia did not show up. 

Rodriguez told 7NEWS: ‘I started asking questions about where she’d be spending the night, and told him that she’d been in a lot of distress on the flight.’ 

Maia had diarrhea and puked when they got to Atlanta.

Because of US regulations Rodriguez was not allowed to stay at the airport to wait for her dog and had to get on the flight back home without her. 

The airline put her on a flight to Punta Cana, a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Santo Domingo.

She hoped that the airline would put her dog on the next flight back to their home, but that never happened.

She hoped that the airline would put her dog on the next flight back to their home, but that never happened

She filed a report as soon as she got to Punta Cana after Maia was nowhere to be found. 

While she stayed put, her mother decided to go to the Santo Domingo airport in case the dog showed up there. 

Claims were then filed at the Atlanta and San Francisco airport. Staff went around to local shelters as well, but still, no sign of the dog. 

‘She’s been missing for more than 72 hours in the biggest airport in the United States,’ Rodriguez told Atlanta News First.

The Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport is 4,700 acres. 

Mia still hasn’t been found and Delta Airlines reached out to Rodriguez and offered compensation of $1,800 which her attorney’s called an ‘insult.’ 

In a statement Delta said that the money is not an ‘offer of compensation’ and claimed they ‘have shown sympathy through many actions, gestures and communications with our customer.’ 

Maia, a chihuahua mix has not been found and Rodriguez, her owner, has issued a $1,000 reward for any information on her lost dog

In a statement Delta said that the money is not an ‘offer of compensation’ and claimed they ‘have shown sympathy through many actions, gestures and communications with our customer’

Delta added that they remain ‘heartbroken’ over the situation.  

Taking matters into her own hands, Rodriguez has turned to social media and posted videos on TikTok warning people to be on the lookout for Maia if they are at the Atlanta airport.

She has also issued a $1,000 reward for any information on where Maia might be. 

Rodriguez’s sister Danielle has also created a GoFundMe dedicated to raise money to help get the best possible resources to help find Maia.