ATLANTA (WJBF) — Two workers were killed and another seriously injured in an explosion early Tuesday at a Delta Air Lines maintenance facility near the Atlanta airport, according to multiple media reports.
WSB-TV reported that a tire on a plane exploded, killing one Delta employee and a contract worker. The television station cited unnamed sources.
Several Atlanta fire units and police responded to the maintenance hangar near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport shortly after 5 a.m., The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
The facility where the accident happened is part of Delta TechOps, which performs maintenance, repair and overhaul work for Delta and more than 150 aviation and airline customers around the world.
The president of TechOps, Delta Executive Vice President John Laughter, said in a note to staff that the airline will make counselors available to talk to employees.
“We’re all in this together, and we’ll get through this by supporting each other,” he said.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens posted the following on X: "I offer my deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased Delta employees. My thoughts are also with those who were injured, and I hope for their swift and full recovery. AFRD, APD, and HJAIA teams are on the scene, working diligently to address the situation."
Delta released the following statement:
The Delta family is heartbroken at the loss of two team members and the injury of another following an incident this morning at the Atlanta Technical Operations Maintenance facility (TOC 3). We have extended our full support to family members and colleagues during this incredibly difficult time.
The Delta family is grateful for the quick action of first responders and medical teams on site. We are now working with local authorities and conducting a full investigation to determine what happened.
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, a union that represents airline workers across the country, said it stands in unity with Delta workers and called for a "thorough" investigation into how the deadly incident happened.
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace WorkersThe IAM Union, which represents over 100,000 members in the airline industry across North America, stands in solidarity with the community of Atlanta and expresses our deepest condolences to the victims’ families following the tragic incident that occurred this morning.
As a union dedicated to the well-being and safety of our members and the broader community, we will offer our resources to all those impacted by this tragic event.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
