Watch: When Pigeons caused chaos on a Delta flight from Minneapolis to Wisconsin

A routine Delta flight from Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport to Madison, Wisconsin, turned into an unexpected bird rescue mission on Saturday — after two pigeons made their way into the plane’s cabin, causing confusion, delays, and quite a few screams.

The chaos began when passenger Tom Caw spotted the first pigeon inside the main cabin, just before takeoff. He shared the bizarre experience on Instagram, noting that the pilot announced the bird's presence and returned the aircraft to the gate so it could be removed.

But just as the flight was preparing for a second departure, another pigeon appeared, flying down the aisle and sending passengers into a panic. The plane had to return to the gate a second time.


“Pilot said when he radioed the control tower about us coming back due to a pigeon, the guy said that was a first for him,” Caw wrote.

“Pilot told him it was the second time for him — the first being half an hour earlier.”


Video footage posted by Caw captured the commotion, with passengers visibly startled and some screaming as the bird flapped through the cabin.

A baggage handler was eventually called in to safely remove the second pigeon.

Delta Responds

Delta Airlines later issued an apology for the disruption, saying, "Delta appreciates the careful actions of our people and our customers to safely remove two birds from the aircraft prior to departure, and we apologize to our customers for the delay in their travel."

Caw took the ordeal in stride, joking: “My guess is the pigeons were tired of flying and wanted snacks.”
“They didn’t know this flight to MSN is too short for Delta to offer beverage/snack service.”

Despite the unexpected avian drama, the flight eventually reached its destination in Madison — just a bit later than scheduled.