New York, NY – Passengers aboard a Delta Air Lines flight arriving at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) on Sunday, December 14, 2025, faced an extraordinarily long delay after landing, with the aircraft spending nearly three hours taxing to its gate.
Delta Flight DL405, a scheduled service from San Francisco, was operated by a Boeing 767-300 aircraft, registration N193DN. The flight landed on JFK’s Runway 31R at 16:29 local time, nearly one hour behind its scheduled arrival time.
However, the journey was far from over for the passengers. Following touchdown, the aircraft began a lengthy and highly unusual taxi to its assigned terminal. The flight finally reached Gate B37 an astonishing 2 hours and 58 minutes after landing according to FlightRadar24.
The three-hour delay on the ground highlights significant operational challenges at JFK on Sunday. While long taxi times are not uncommon during peak traffic or severe weather, a duration nearing three hours from runway to gate is highly unusual for a major airport and would represent a frustrating experience for all passengers and crew involved.
Delta Air Lines has not yet provided an official explanation for the extensive delay, but severe congestion or an unexpected closure of taxiways likely contributed to the extended hold.
Sometimes, taxi time is longer than the flight itself as this Fedex flight FX922 after landing at Chicago O’Hare International Airport.
