Korina Huizar, a passenger on the flight from Atlanta to Brussels that landed amid explosions at the Brussels airport, called the experience “a big mix of emotions.”
Passengers were waiting on the plane after arriving for about an hour and half, according to Huizar. During that harrowing time they learned the explosions were a terrorist attack, then learned a second attack struck a subway station in Brussels.
“That was scary for us, because we were still on the plane and not at a secure point yet,” said Huizar, a 28-year-old from Sacramento, Calif. “You just wonder, ‘What’s going on? Is it safe?’ “
In Atlanta at the international terminal of the world’s busiest airport, passengers and others Tuesday morning were shocked by the news and concerned about the impact of the attacks.
Hartsfield-Jackson International officials said the airport “remains on heightened alert.” Armed Homeland Security officers patrolled the airport terminal, along with police officers and canine units.
The Transportation Security Administration said it is deploying more security to major U.S. airports, as well as at rail and transit stations.
Atlanta-based Delta said Tuesday it was “in the process of confirming the safety of all customers.” The airline added: “Local leaders have confirmed the safety of all crew members and ground employees.”
The Boeing 767-300ER that flew from Atlanta to Brussels had a 6:35 p.m. departure time and an 8:15 a.m. arrival. Explosions were reported at around 8:15 a.m. at the Brussels airport.
Huizar said on the flight, there was a mix of passengers, including children and elderly travelers.
“Some people were crying,” said Huizar, a professional cyclist connected in Atlanta while returning from a race back to her home in Belgium.
“Everybody was on their phones trying to get into contact with their loved ones and trying to figure out what was going on,” Huizar said. “You just want to call people and tell them that you love them.” She tried several times to reach her husband before getting through.
She said Delta crew members did a good job of keeping travelers updated as they learned the nature of the explosions.
“I really have to commend them. The pilots even came out to talk to us and let us know everything they knew,” she said. “That was a big part of what made me feel safer. You had someone there talking to you.”
The experience started, Huizar said, after the plane landed normally at around 8 a.m. Just as the plane was getting ready to pull up to connect to the gate, “we were informed that we weren’t able to go to the gates,” she said.
“We were told there was an explosion inside, but the details weren’t known,” whether it was a kitchen explosion, an accident, “or worst-case scenario” — a terrorist attack, Huizar said.
A short time later, she said, came confirmation of two bomb blasts.
The plane was taken to a remote location, then passengers got off the plane and took a bus to a hangar where hundreds of passengers from arriving and departing flights that had been cancelled were being processed.
“Things were so chaotic… there was just a ton of security,” with a strong presence of police officers, she said.
After going through a customs check, Huizar said passengers were released to leave the airport. But because the airport was by then closed, with train service shut down, passengers had to walk off the airport premises. Huizar walked out of the airport at noon and met up with her husband.
By afternoon she was safe at her home in Mechelen, between Brussels and Antwerp.
“Obviously things are a bit scarier in Brussels. However, I do feel safe here,” she said. “I feel like a lot of nations are feeling united through all of this.”
Huizar said she expects the terrorist attacks won’t affect passengers’ willingness to travel.
“I know I will fly again and you just have to hope for the best,” Huizar said.
At Hartsfield-Jackson’s international terminal Tuesday morning, travelers and those meeting friends and loved ones reacted to the news of the attacks at the Brussels airport.
Yvonne Spellman, who lives in Marietta and was leaving for a week-long vacation to Jamaica with her husband, said upon hearing the news of the Brussels explosions: “It made me just kind of cringe…. I’m really very, very concerned about it.”
Amanda Scruggs, who lives in Atlanta and was picking up her sister at the international terminal, was shocked by the news of the Brussels attacks.
“It definitely made me nervous, especially because I’m coming to the international portion of an airport,” said Scruggs, a Georgia State student.
Mark Sullivan, who said he is from Columbia, S.C., and retired from the military, expects “we’re going to see a lot more of it, because we’re very vulnerable.”
After the attacks, Delta diverted its New York-Brussels Flight DL42 to Amsterdam, with 144 passengers and 11 crew members.
Incoming Delta CEO Ed Bastian said in a written statement that “our teams are in constant contact with authorities in Brussels and were able to immediately go into action this morning on behalf of our employees and customers.”
The Brussels airport is now closed through Wednesday. Delta said it will work with customers with flights booked to, from or through Brussels to change their travel plans.
Delta is also waiving certain change fees for customers with flights booked to Brussels, Amsterdam or Paris through March 31 who want to reschedule.
Hartsfield-Jackson in a statement Tuesday said it “remains on heightened alert and will continue to coordinate with federal, state and city law enforcement.”
About the Author
