Twice Aborted: Delta Flight from Catania to New York Takes Off

CATANIA – A recent Delta Air Lines (DL) flight from Vincenzo Bellini Catania Airport (CTA) to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) experienced significant issues on July 28, 2025. Pilots operating a Boeing 767 aborted takeoff twice due to technical difficulties.

FlightRadar24 (FR24) data indicated that the flight, intended to last 9 hours and 30 minutes, was set to take off at 08:55 AM local time, aiming for an expected arrival at JFK around 13:15 PM local time.

Delta 767 Pilots Abort Takeoff

According to the FR24 data, Delta flight DL245 attempted to take off from Catania’s Runway 26. However, the pilots decided to abort the takeoff due to several technical alerts.

The crew made a second attempt from the Runway 08 side, facing similar mechanical issues once again. Consequently, they returned to the gate after aborting the takeoff for the second time.

Reports suggest that the pilots encountered a technical malfunction within a non-essential system. A Reddit user commented:

Cancelled for mechanical reasons. It’s unfortunate, but being an older 767, such occurrences are more common. They likely experienced incorrect engine power readings during takeoff. After some resets, they attempted to be sure it wasn’t a one-time anomaly.

Reddit User

Flight DL245 was operated by a Boeing 767-300ER registered as N180DN. This aircraft is 33.3 years old, powered by two Pratt and Whitney (PW) JT9D engines.

Following the incident, the aircraft remained at Catania for a day and was scheduled to operate again as DL245 on July 29, 2025.

Although Delta Air Lines had to cancel the flight that day, they provided a replacement aircraft, another 767 registered as N190DN, which conducted a special flight DL9895 to accommodate the stranded passengers.

Same Flight But Different Occurrence

Earlier, on July 22, 2025, a Delta flight from Catania–Fontanarossa Airport (CTA) to JFK diverted to Goose Bay Airport (YYR) due to reports of smoke in the cabin. This event involved a Boeing 767-300 (registered as N1200K), also operating as flight DL245 on a transatlantic route.

The plane landed safely on Runway 08 approximately 40 minutes after the incident was reported. Emergency services were on standby but the landing went off without a hitch, and there were no injuries.

After landing, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) found that faulty galley ovens were to blame for the smell. They replaced the number 4 and number 5 ovens in the aft galley as part of corrective measures, as reported by Aviation Herald.

Similar Incident

A Delta Air Lines flight from Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO) to JFK declared an emergency due to a hydraulic system malfunction.

The affected aircraft, an Airbus A330-300 (registered as N804NW), operated as flight DL183 on its journey.

While entering U.S. airspace, the crew reported issues affecting nose wheel steering and the deployment of landing gear to Boston Center, initiating emergency protocols at JFK.

Hydraulic Failure Triggers Emergency Response

As flight DL183 neared its destination, the crew identified a hydraulic failure, impairing the nose wheel steering and requiring manual gear deployment—essential for safe landing.

The pilots declared an emergency and commenced a controlled descent while informing air traffic control.

With 279 passengers and around 23,000 lbs of fuel onboard, they adhered to emergency protocols while maintaining communication with ATC.

The flight was placed on an elongated base-to-final pattern for Runway 31L, allowing time for manual gear deployment.

Final Approach and Safe Landing at JFK

ATC provided critical visual approach support as the aircraft aligned for landing. The crew adjusted airspeeds, initially set at 145 knots and briefly changed to 191 knots for sequencing.

Despite the challenges, the Delta A330 successfully landed on Runway 31L, with emergency services on standby. Inoperative nose wheel steering hindered taxiing, leading to a controlled stop on the runway.

A tug was quickly dispatched to assist the aircraft to the gate. Throughout, the post-landing process was smooth, with no injuries reported.