Two dead after explosion at Delta Air Lines maintenance depot | World news

Two people were killed and another seriously injured in an explosion at a Delta Air Lines maintenance depot at Atlanta airport in the US state of Georgia.

A union representative told Sky News' US partner, NBC News, that an aircraft tire had burst.

Several fire and police units responded to a hangar at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Georgia shortly after 5am (10am UK time).

The airline said it was conducting an investigation and cooperating with local authorities.

“The Delta family is heartbroken over the loss of two team members and the injury of another following an incident this morning at the Atlanta Technical Operations Maintenance facility,” Delta said in a statement.

“We have pledged our full support to family members and colleagues during this incredibly difficult time.”

A spokesman for the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration said the agency had also launched an investigation.

The wheel and brake maintenance facility where the explosion occurred is part of Delta TechOps, which performs maintenance, repair and overhaul for Delta and more than 150 aviation and airline customers around the world.

In 2023 Atlanta was ranked as the busiest airport in the world with 104 million passengers.

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers expressed its condolences to the workers' families.

The union, which represents airline workers across North America, said: “We will offer our resources to all those affected by this tragic event,” adding: “We call on Delta and the appropriate authorities to quickly launch a thorough investigation to determine how this happened.”

Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport also issued a statement saying its “prayers are with the families affected by this tragic incident.”

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Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens wrote on X: “I extend my deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased Delta employees.”

“My thoughts are also with the injured and I hope for their quick and full recovery.”

Meanwhile, in January A nose wheel fell off a Boeing 757 Jet rolling onto the runway at Atlanta International Airport with 184 passengers on board.

The wheel “came loose and rolled down the slope” as the Delta Air Lines flight waited for takeoff, according to a report by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which is still investigating the incident.