Delta Airlines: Passengers evacuate plane down emergency slides after cabin 'fills with smoke' after take-off

The Boeing 717-200 was on its way to Columbia Metropolitan Airport in South Carolina when the haze covered the cabin. Terrified passengers used their clothes to shield their faces.

The plane was then forced to divert to an airport in Atlanta, Georgia, where 94 passengers, two pilots, and three flight attendants fled the cabin using the emergency exit slides. The flight managed to land at roughly 9am on Monday (February 24) after crew members reported the smoke shortly after take-off.

Staff then declared an emergency to get priority guidance from air traffic control. The Federal Aviation Administration said: "Delta Air Lines Flight 876 returned safely to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport around 9 am local time on Monday, February 24, after the crew reported possible smoke in the flightdeck."

A Delta spokesperson said: “The flight crew followed procedures to return to Atlanta when a haze inside the aircraft was observed after departure. Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and people, and we apologise to our customers for the experience.”

Passengers were brought to the terminal on ground transportation where they received help to get rebooked on other flights. An air spokesperson told ABC News that the incident had a "moderate impact to operations".