A Delta Air Lines flight scheduled from Los Angeles to Tampa diverted to Fort Myers on Saturday evening, then departed without some passengers because the TSA checkpoint had reportedly shut for the night. A traveler on the flight claims that a Delta flight attendant told passengers to go to a baggage carousel, which some did, before discovering they were unable to pass back through security screening.

However, many passengers remained by the gate and were subsequently able to reboard the aircraft, which continued safely to Tampa following its diversion due to thunderstorms. Those left behind were stranded landside overnight without accommodation, while their checked bags continued to Tampa on the aircraft.

Diverted Delta Passengers Left Behind In Fort Myers

Credit: Shutterstock

The incident occurred at Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) on August 29, where Delta Flight 749 had diverted after entering a holding pattern over Tampa. Flight tracking data shows the Airbus A321neo (registration: N589DT) left Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) at 10:54 AM local time but was unable to land at Tampa International Airport (TPA) due to a heavy thunderstorm, first entering a holding pattern before landing in Fort Myers just after 7:00 PM local time.

As first reported by View from the Wing, passenger Randi Hipper claims she was among the first to deplane, adding that a flight attendant explicitly directed passengers to “Carousel 7” to collect their checked luggage. With many passengers apparently obeying this instruction, others decided to remain by the gate. Delta then re-operated the flight around two hours later, departing at 9:14 PM and landing in Tampa 22 minutes later at 9:36 PM.

However, with the airport’s TSA facilities now closed, those who had gone to baggage claim were on the public side of the terminal with no way back through screening. According to Hipper, “half the plane” stayed at the gate and would eventually get back on without needing to pass through TSA, while everyone’s bags remained on the plane. Hipper said,

“I got stuck at Fort Myers, where the flight attendant told us to get off and get our baggage. And then, when I was out of security… half the plane stayed back. Now they’re departing without me, and with my bag.”

Liability And Compensation Remain Unclear

Credit: Shutterstock

It isn’t clear who is responsible for the situation, as the instruction to collect luggage may have reflected the information available to the crew before Delta rescheduled the flight, or could be due to a misunderstanding among passengers. Hipper commented in a reply on X that the flight attendant had “clearly stated to go to carousel 7,” adding that many seated towards the front of the aircraft followed these instructions.

The extent of compensation or duty of care for affected passengers is also uncertain. Delta’s passenger contract offers ground transportation after a diversion, but only when the diversion airport and the passenger’s original destination are part of the same designated city group. In this case, Fort Myers is not part of the group Tampa belongs to, despite being only around 110 miles away.

DOT rules also state that passengers who choose to leave an aircraft during a delay are not guaranteed boarding again when it departs. To counter that, passengers in this case can claim they left the secure area because they were instructed to, rather than by choice. Simple Flying reached out to Delta for comment on this incident, but a spokesperson could not be reached before publication.

Limited TSA Checkpoint Hours At Fort Myers

Credit: Shutterstock

Like many airports, RSW does not keep its security checkpoints open around the clock. It states that TSA checkpoints remain open until approximately 30 minutes before the last scheduled departure from each concourse. Saturday’s flight landed in Fort Myers after 7:00 PM and did not depart again until after 9:00 PM, presumably meaning there were no scheduled flights from that specific concourse at that late hour.

RSW’s terminal is divided into three concourses, with Delta operating from Concourse C. Access to these concourses requires passengers to pass through TSA screening, while the main terminal and baggage claim area are on the public side of security. As a result, the Delta passengers who left the secure area to collect their bags could no longer return to the gate.