ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Delta passengers were left frustrated again after sitting on the tarmac at Rochester Airport for nearly two hours on February 1, despite the flight arriving on time.

The delay was not flagged in Delta’s system, as the time on the tarmac did not meet their threshold, officials said. Delta employs a third-party subcontractor, Unifi, for their ground crew. News10NBC reached out to Unifi for clarification, but they did not respond.

A passenger said the pilot provided frequent updates to keep passengers calm. The pilot was unable to communicate with ground control, leading to the extended wait on the tarmac, the passenger said.

The airport suggested the delay might have been due to too many Delta flights arriving simultaneously and insufficient ground crew.

Andy Moore, Director of Aviation, said, “We talk about better communication between the airport and the airline itself. But at the end of the day, we don’t control what the airlines do or don’t do. We don’t control delays, we don’t control cancellations.”

Moore added, “We have airline station managers meetings every single month. It’s really a big tenant meeting… And it’s about that relationship building that can help mitigate situations that may have occurred like last night. It’s very unfortunate, we don’t like hearing that.”

Moore plans to address the issue at the next airline meeting in two weeks.

A passenger expressed concern about the plane having enough fuel to keep the cabin warm during the delay. The airline said there is ground power the plane may access if this becomes a concern.

Delta released a statement to News10NBC, saying, “We invite customers to share their feedback and experience with Delta so we can better understand their experience and make it right.”

For the most accurate and up-to-date flight information, the airport recommends using the airline’s app or website.

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