Passengers aboard a Delta Air Lines flight from Amsterdam to Detroit had an unexpected and revolting experience when maggots began falling from an overhead bin, causing the plane to turn back just an hour into the journey.

According to reports on social media, including posts on Twitter, travellers on flight DL 133 were shocked and disgusted as maggots showered down on them mid-flight. Passenger Philip Schotte recounted the unsettling scene, describing a woman across the aisle from him "trying to kind of fight off these maggots."

"I don’t really know what was going through my mind. I was trying to process it – disgust is one thing of course," Schotte told WJBK-TV in Detroit.

Where did the maggots come from?

Flight attendants swiftly located the source of the infestation: a carry-on bag stored in an overhead compartment. Inside the bag, they discovered a rotting fish wrapped in newspaper, which had attracted the maggots.

"I did see everyone’s reaction to the bag being opened, which was just an immediate pinching of the nose," Schotte recounted.

Delta Air Lines has issued an apology 

Delta Air Lines issued a statement apologizing to the affected passengers, acknowledging that the incident was caused by an improperly packed carry-on bag. The airline confirmed that the aircraft returned to the gate, and passengers were rebooked on the next available flight. Additionally, the aircraft underwent thorough cleaning before being returned to service.

Flight tracking data from FlightAware revealed that the flight departed Amsterdam at 10:11 a.m. local time and returned to the same airport less than two hours later at noon.

To ensure the containment of the infestation, the carry-on bag responsible for the maggots was reportedly placed into another bag and subsequently burned, as reported by Airlive, an aviation news site.

The bizarre incident serves as a reminder of the importance of properly packing luggage and adhering to airline regulations to avoid disruptions during flights.