Delta Air Lines: Pilot’s abort takeoff as cockpit window bursts open at Minneapolis Airport

A major airline is dealing with a horror week after three major incidents, including a cockpit window bursting open as a passenger jet was about to take off, and fires on two planes.

Delta Flight 2261 was taxiing on the runway at Minneapolis Airport on Wednesday. As it began its final preparation for departure on its way to Las Vegas, the pilots had to abort the takeoff after the window flew open.

“No need for crash fire rescue, we just need to run a checklist. We had a window come open,” a pilot could be heard telling the air traffic control tower via recordings obtained by CNN.

Pilots can regularly be seen with windows open to assist air circulation as they do pre-flight checks, however, a loss of pressure due to a breach, such as an open window during takeoff or at altitude, could prove disastrous.

“As the safety of our customers and people is paramount, the flight crew followed training to safely suspend takeoff following a mechanical issue in the flight deck,” Delta Air Lines told the Daily Mail.

“We apologise for the delay in travel plans.”

The flight, carrying 149 passengers and six crew, returned to the gate and everyone was forced to move off the plane before waiting over two hours to be loaded onto another aircraft to continue their journey.

The plane is now under evaluation by Delta’s maintenance team.

Two other separate Delta airlines aircraft have also been involved in serious incidents this week, both catching fire at Atalnta Airport.

Earlier this week a Delta flight from Atlanta to Nigeria reportedly had a smoking engine while it was sitting on the runway, and three days earlier, another flight departing from Atlanta heading to Sacramento appeared to have sparks flying from the engine while it was airborne.

Passengers captured the fire on video and posted this horrifying vision before the plane returned to the airport shortly after takeoff.