Two passengers aboard an Atlanta-bound Delta Air Lines flight opened a cabin door and fled down an emergency slide before the aircraft took off from LaGuardia Airport in New York.

A Delta spokesperson told CNN the plane, an Airbus A321, was taxiing down the runway when the passengers activated the emergency slide.

A large service dog was also with the passengers and deplaned with them.

The two passengers, according to The New York Times, are in custody.

After the passengers and dog left the plane, the jet returned to the gate, and passengers were placed on different flights, according to NBC News.

The Delta spokesperson said the aircraft is being evaluated by maintenance technicians and is soon scheduled to return to service.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has not yet commented on what may have caused the passengers and the dog to make such a hasty, unexpected exit.

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The city of Brookhaven's mayor and City Council last week decided to remove the colored panes of glass from the dome of Brookhaven's new City Centre after residents objected to the brightness of the colors, seen here Friday, June 27, 2025. (Reed Williams/AJC)

Credit: Reed Williams/AJC