ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A Delta Air Lines airplane caught fire on Monday before it was supposed to take off at a central Florida airport, forcing the evacuation of passengers, airport officials said.
There were no reports of any injuries during the fire on the plane at Orlando International Airport, Delta said in a statement.
A recent spate of aviation disasters and close calls in the U.S. has stoked fears about air travel, though flying remains a safe way to travel. On-the-ground accidents included a plane that crashed and flipped over upon landing in Toronto and a Japan Airlines plane that clipped a parked Delta plane while it was taxiing at the Seattle airport. An American Airlines plane caught fire in Denver last month.
The engine fire broke out late Monday morning on Delta Air Lines Flight 1213 while the plane was at the ramp before a scheduled departure from Orlando to Atlanta, airport officials said on social media.
The passengers were evacuated, and the airport's rescue and firefighting team responded, the airport's statement said.
The Airbus A330 aircraft had 282 customers, 10 flight attendants and two pilots, according to Delta.
“Delta flight crews followed procedures to evacuate the passenger cabin when flames in the tailpipe of one of the aircraft’s two engines were observed,” Delta said in a statement.
Maintenance teams will examine the aircraft in an effort to determine the cause of the fire, Delta said.
Flames rise from a Delta Air Lines airplane Monday, April 21, 2025, at the Orlando International Airport, in Orlando, Fla. (Dylan Wallace via AP)
FILE - Travelers line up to go through a TSA checkpoint at Orlando International Airport before the Memorial Day weekend, May 28, 2021, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File)
McDonald’s store traffic fell further than expected in the first quarter as economic uncertainty weighed on diners.
The trouble was particularly acute in the U.S., where same-store sales — or sales at locations open at least a year — slumped 3.6%. That was the biggest U.S. decline McDonald’s has seen since 2020, when a pandemic shuttered stores and restaurants and other public spaces nationwide.
McDonald's Chairman and CEO Chris Kempczinski said lower- and middle-income consumers, worried about inflation and the economic outlook, cut back on fast food during the January-March period.
Industrywide traffic from consumers making $45,000 per year or less was down by double-digit percentages, he said, and traffic from middle-income consumers was down nearly as much. Only traffic from those making $100,000 or more remained solid, he said.
“We believe McDonald’s can weather these difficult conditions better than most,” Kempczinski said Thursday in a conference call with investors. “However, we’re not immune to the volatility in the industry or the pressures that our consumers are facing.”
McDonald's rivals have reported similar downturns. Yum Brands, which owns the Taco Bell, KFC, Habit Burger & Grill and Pizza Hut brands, said Wednesday that its U.S. same-store sales fell 2% in the first quarter. Chipotle also reported weaker-than-expected same-store sales in the first quarter.
McDonald's same-store sales fell 1% globally in the first quarter, as growing traffic in Japan, China and the Middle East failed to overcome weakness in markets like the U.K. Without the impact of the extra leap year day in 2024, same-store sales were flat, the company said. Wall Street had been expecting an increase of nearly 2%, according to analysts polled by FactSet.
The Chicago-based chain has responded by introducing a U.S. McValue menu, which lets customers buy one item for $1 when they buy a full-priced item. It also announced Thursday that its $5 Meal Deal will run through the rest of this year. That deal was introduced last June and extended several times.
Kempczinski said the $5 Meal Deal is resonating well with consumers but the McValue menu is not driving the additional sales the company expected, so McDonald's may make changes to it.
Kempczinski said McDonald's had expected the first quarter to be its weakest this year. Already, things are looking up.
In April, a McDonald's meal tied to “A Minecraft Movie,” which was offered in 100 countries, sold out of its collectible figures in less than two weeks. New chicken strips and the U.S. return of the snack wrap — exected later this year — are also expected to drive traffic, Kempczinski said.
McDonald's reaffirmed its financial targets for the full year despite the impact of tariffs. And Kempczinski said McDonald's internal surveys show that anti-American sentiment, particularly in Canada and Northern Europe, doesn't seem to be impacting how consumers feel about the McDonald's brand.
McDonald's shares were down 1% in morning trading Thursday.
McDonald's first quarter revenue fell 3% to $5.95 billion, short of analysts’ forecast of $6.09 billion, according to FactSet.
Net income fell 3% to $1.86 billion. Adjusted for restructuring charges and other one-time items, the company earned $2.67 per share, beating Wall Street projections by a penny.
FILE - McDonald's restaurant signs are shown in in East Palestine, Ohio, Feb. 9, 2023. McDonald's reports earning on Monday, July 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
