Delta Air Lines pilot in US delays flight so passenger can see dying mum one last time

Delta Air Lines pilot delays flight for passenger to see dying mum

When a mechanical issue almost caused a woman to miss her connecting flight, a Delta Air Lines pilot delayed it so the passenger could make it to see her dying mum one final time.

Although delays are usually the bane of travellers, it became an invaluable “gift of time” for the woman. She shared her story on TikTok where it has been viewed over 10 million times and received over 2 million likes.

Mechanical delay almost caused her to miss her flight

When her mum went into septic shock following a surgery for pneumonia, Hannah White’s brother recalled and told her to visit immediately. Not only were the doctors unsure about what was wrong with her mum, but also didn’t know how much longer she had.

Source: @xoxohannahwhite on TikTok

White then booked the first flight out of Dallas, Texas the very next day, with a connecting flight in Minneapolis.

However, her first flight was delayed for an hour due to mechanical issues. This meant Ms White wouldn’t be able to make her connecting flight and consequently, possibly not seeing her mum before she passed away.

She explained her situation to a flight attendant, asking if there was anything she could do.

Sadly, her flight attendant returned and reaffirmed her worst fears — she was going to miss her flight and had already been booked for another flight the next day.

Aircrew & other passengers extend kind gestures

Realising she might never get to say goodbye to her mum, Ms White began to tear up. The flight attendant joined her in tears as she apologised for the situation.

But things took a surprising turn.

One hour later, her flight attendant returned with good news. When he heard about her story, the pilot called the other pilot in Minneapolis. After explaining Ms White’s story to the connecting flight’s pilot, the latter agreed to wait so she could make the flight.

They then immediately bumped her to first class just so she could disembark faster. The pilot also made an announcement to the flight asking other passengers to let her off first.

Upon realising that the announcement was referring to Ms White, the passenger next to her even offered her a map of the airport so she knew where exactly to go for her connecting flight.

Saw her mum just in time

After landing in Minneapolis, she ran to her connecting flight which had been waiting for 30 minutes. While doing so, she thought about how her mum would’ve also run across the country to see her.

The crew of the Minneapolis flight greeted her as she boarded.

“We’ve been waiting for you,” she called them saying. Once she made it to her seat, she was finally able to relax, knowing she would make it in time to see her mum that night.

The flight attendants left her and wished her well as she deplaned. The pilot even said he’d be praying for her.

Thanks to the Delta staff’s thoughtful gesture, Ms White was able to see her mum and say “I love you” one last time. She passed away the very next day.