Passengers evacuated after Delta flight returns to Atlanta due to report of fumes in the flight deck, airline says

By Ray Sanchez, CNN

(CNN) — A Florida-bound Delta flight on Saturday returned to Atlanta and evacuated passengers on slides after reports of smoke in the cockpit.

“Delta 2204, change of plans. We now have smoke in the back, and we need to deplane immediately,” according to air traffic control audio captured by ATC.com.

“The flight crew followed procedures to return to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport after reports of fumes in the flight deck,” Delta Air Lines said in a statement.

“A slide evacuation occurred on a taxiway … Safety is paramount at Delta, and we apologize to our customers for their experience.”

Flight 2204 from Atlanta to Orlando was carrying 199 passengers and six crew members, according to Delta. Passengers and crew on the Boeing 757 evacuated via slides on the taxiway and returned to the terminal on a bus. The flight departed at 7:23 a.m., according to flight tracking site FlightAware.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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CNN’s Graham Hurley contributed to this report.