A United Airlines flight bound for Ireland faced an unexpected detour, forcing hundreds of passengers—including one of America’s top religious leaders—into an unplanned stay in Canada. The Boeing 777, originally scheduled to fly from Newark, New Jersey to Dublin, Ireland, was diverted after a medical emergency just three hours into the journey, leading to a lengthy layover in St. John’s, Newfoundland.
The flight, which took off on Thursday, was meant to land in Dublin that same day. However, after rerouting, it wasn’t until Sunday that passengers finally arrived at their destination. On board the plane were 12 crew members and 259 passengers, including Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop of New York.
The situation worsened when the ill passenger was taken to a local hospital, but the rest of the travelers were left stranded without their luggage. Staffing issues prevented them from accessing their belongings, further complicating the situation. To make matters worse, inclement weather made it unsafe for the plane to take off until Sunday.
Despite the setback, Cardinal Dolan remained upbeat and made the most of his unexpected stop. He even led Mass at the Basilica Cathedral of St. John the Baptist on Saturday, telling the congregation, “We left Newark, New Jersey, Thursday on our way to Dublin… and we ended up here with you and we’re still here.” He later shared his gratitude on social media, thanking the people of Newfoundland for their warmth and hospitality. “It was my joy to offer Mass in the cathedral that inspired Archbishop John Joseph Hughes to build St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York,” Dolan wrote on X.
United Airlines, for its part, ensured passengers were well taken care of during the extended stay. “While high winds kept the aircraft grounded, we provided hotel accommodation and meal vouchers for our customers,” the airline said in a statement.
Eventually, when the weather improved, the flight was able to take off on Sunday morning, and after a long delay, it finally touched down in Dublin at 4:18 PM local time.
St. John’s airport is a regular stop for rerouted flights due to its location along the Atlantic flight path, so such weather delays are not uncommon.
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I would have thought “3 hours” would have put the plane almost in Ireland… must have included diverted flight time… high winds may have also flipped that other airliner over in Toronto today… or maybe a hard landing broke a wing off allowing the plane to roll over upside down and catch on fire as fuel spilled from wing tanks… …