A United Airlines flight, heading from Newark to Dublin, experienced an unexpected and dramatic turn when it had to make an emergency diversion to snowy Newfoundland.
The plane, United Flight 23, departed from Newark Liberty Airport on Thursday but was diverted to St. John’s International Airport in Newfoundland, Canada, after a passenger suffered a medical emergency.
This led to several days of delays for the passengers aboard, including America’s top Catholic Cardinal Timothy Dolan.
Emergency Diversion and Passenger Struggles
About three hours into the flight, the Boeing 777-200 was rerouted due to the medical emergency.
Upon landing in Newfoundland, medical personnel boarded the plane to transport the affected passenger to a local hospital for treatment.
While this was happening, the remaining 259 passengers and 12 crew members found themselves stuck at the small airport, unable to continue their journey because of high winds and snowy conditions.
While some passengers tried to make the best of the situation, including Cardinal Dolan, who took the opportunity to hold a Mass at a local church, others were less than thrilled.
Many took to social media to express their frustration, particularly about being stranded without access to their luggage.
One passenger posted on X, saying, “Update: United informs us we can’t get access to our checked luggage because it’s too windy outside.
They couldn’t give it to us yesterday for different reasons, so it’s 48 hours without clothing in Newfoundland while it’s 20°F outside.”
Weather and Delays Make Travel Difficult
The St. John’s International Airport had issued a warning earlier that day about potential delays due to the weather, stating, “Snow is forecasted this evening into tomorrow morning.
Please check with your airline before heading to the airport and allow extra time to arrive safely.”
Unfortunately, the weather persisted, and passengers found themselves waiting, with no clear timeline for their departure.
Despite the inconvenience, Cardinal Dolan made light of the situation.
In a heartfelt social media post, he thanked the people of St. John’s, saying, “Thank you to the gracious people of St. John the Baptist in St. John’s, Newfoundland, who took me in after my flight to Ireland was grounded.”
He also shared his experience of offering Mass at the Basilica Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, which inspired the creation of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York.
Delays Finally End and Passengers Depart for Dublin
After several days of waiting, the weather conditions finally improved.
On Sunday morning, United Airlines announced that the flight would be able to depart for Dublin.
The airline provided hotel accommodations and meal vouchers to passengers during the delay.
The flight eventually left St. John’s and arrived in Dublin at 4:18 p.m. local time, marking the end of a very long and unexpected detour.
Unfortunately, the weather chaos didn’t stop there.
On Sunday, a deadly bomb cyclone was making its way toward the Northeast, causing thousands of flights to be delayed or canceled.
Over 2,000 flights within, into, and out of the U.S. were delayed, and more than 1,000 were canceled by 10 a.m. that day.
Weather experts warned that icy conditions could make travel impossible in some regions, and bitterly cold temperatures were forecast to hit the Northern Plains.
The situation serves as a reminder of how unpredictable and challenging travel can be, especially when the weather doesn’t cooperate.