Delta Air Lines flight DL295, operating from Atlanta (ATL) to Tokyo Haneda (HND) on November 22, 2025, turned into a 13-hour flight to nowhere. The 14.5-hour journey was cut short when a mid-air mechanical alert forced the Airbus A350-900 to abort its transpacific crossing.
According to FlightAware tracking data, the Tokyo-bound flight reached Alaska before turning around and reverting its course. The unusual flight diversion was first shared on Reddit from passengers aboard the flight.
Data shows DL295 took off as scheduled at 9:57 AM EST from Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on November 22, 2025. After diverting over Alaska, FlightAware shows the A350-900 returned to Atlanta at 11:28 PM EST — ending the day exactly where it began.
A “cautionary” maintenance message forced the diversion of DL295
Passengers aboard DL295 shared live updates about the unusual “flight to nowhere” on social media.
One passenger posted on Reddit and said the captain made an in-flight announcement explaining that a cautionary message appeared on the flight deck of the A350-900. Originally, DL295 was going to divert to Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport (MSP), before the crew changed course.
The Delta passenger wrote:
“I’m on this flight. Captain said a cautionary message showed in the flight deck. No immediate safety threat, but we can’t fly over the ocean with it. MSP is an A350 base so that’s why we’re diverting there.
Update: Now heading to ATL”
On the r/Flightradar24 thread, one passenger shared, “My husband and I were on the flight. They told everyone we were going to Minneapolis and people started rebooking their own flights out of MSP for today to ensure they could get to Tokyo. They didn’t tell anyone we were going to Atlanta until 3 hours after the original announcement of going to MSP.”
“My husband happened to go talk to a flight attendant and they told him we were going to ATL and to not book a new flight from MSP but they didn’t announce it to the whole plane for a while after that. Crazy to withhold that as people are trying to get to the other side of the world,” they continued.
While it wasn’t an immediate emergency, the issue was significant enough that the aircraft could not reportedly continue across the Pacific.
Initially, the crew intended to divert to Minneapolis, which is a Delta hub with A350 maintenance capability. The plan was later changed, and the aircraft ultimately returned all the way to Atlanta.
Another Reddit user tracking the flight stated, “It’s returning to ATL now. That’s a long flight to nowhere.”
As a result, Delta flight DL166 from Tokyo Haneda (HND) to Seattle (SEA) was cancelled on November 23, 2025. The flight was scheduled to depart from Tokyo Haneda at 4:50 P.M local time.
Why DL295 may have skipped Anchorage and Seattle
Aviation communities across Reddit and Facebook compiled several likely factors behind the unusual decision. To start, Anchorage, Alaska would likely have limited maintenance support for the Airbus A350.
In the Minneapolis-St.Paul Aviation Spotters Facebook group, one commenter speculated, “MSP was probably the closest hub that had a spare plane… Either way this flight is delayed until tomorrow at the soonest.”
Another person commented, “Anti ice issue. Can’t go to Seattle due to icing conditions.” However, this has not been confirmed by the airline.
In addition, Seattle is facing fuel supply constraints due to the Olympic Pipeline shutdown.
As reported by Simple Flying, the Olympic Pipeline was shut down on November 11, 2025, after the fuel leak was detected in Snohomish County, east of Everett, prompting the suspension of normal operations. Unfortunately, the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport relies directly on the Olympic Pipeline for jet fuel.
Meanwhile, Minneapolis aviation spotters explained that while MSP has A350 maintenance resources, it is not an A350 pilot base. This could further complicate legal crew duty limits if the aircraft landed there.
FlightAware confirms DL295’s 13.5-hour flight to nowhere
FlightAware tracking shows DL295 reaching 39,000 feet and crossing into Alaska before reversing course. The aircraft spent approximately 13.5 hours in the air, almost the full scheduled flight time to Tokyo, before landing back where it started.
Passengers effectively completed an almost-transpacific round trip without ever leaving North America.
Despite the ordeal, passengers described a mostly calm atmosphere on board. When asked about the mood during the flight, one traveler replied:
“Honestly pretty good all things considered. We’re all just chatting with each other. Flight crew has been very helpful.”
While mechanical diversions happen, ultra-long-haul flights rarely return to their origin after crossing such a large portion of the route.
DL295’s flight path, which took the aircraft across the U.S., Canada, and into Alaska before turning back, makes it one of the more notable “flights to nowhere” in recent airline history.
