PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A flight headed to Iceland with Philadelphia’s mayor on board has been diverted to Boston after experiencing a technical problem over Canada.
Philly.com reports Mayor Jim Kenney was on Icelandair’s first flight from Philadelphia to Reykjavik (ray-KYA-vick), Iceland. It was marking the beginning of direct flights between the cities. The website reports that a rubber smell was detected in the airplane, the company told people on social media asking about the diversion.
A website tracking commercial flights shows the plane was diverted around 10:45 p.m. and landed in Boston around 12:30 a.m.
Airport officials in Philadelphia and Boston did not respond to requests for comment.
Icelandair tweeted an apology for the “inconvenience” in response to a reporter on board the flight.
Kenny’s spokeswoman says it is tradition for mayors to visit each other’s cities when new international routes are established. Reykjavik Mayor Dagur Eggertsson spent two days touring Philadelphia.
Kenney is to return Saturday.
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