Air India flight turns back after toilets clog mid-air

The Air India plane had nearly 300 passengers on board and was supposed to fly for 14 hours. But just under two hours into the journey, crew members noticed that many of the toilets were not working, Independent reports.

The airline later found that eight out of the 12 toilets on the aircraft were clogged with polythene bags, rags, and clothes with very few of the lavatories working.

It therefore decided to turn the flight around.

“By this time, the aircraft was overflying the Atlantic, leaving points in Europe as potential cities to divert to,” Air India said.

“However, due to restrictions on night operations at most of the European airports, it was decided to divert back to Chicago.”

Tracking data showed the plane was near Greenland when it reversed course, spending nearly 10 hours in the air before landing back in Chicago.

Passengers were given hotel rooms and new flight options to reach Delhi.

The incident sparked discussions online, with some people blaming passengers for flushing things that should not go in toilets.

Others said the airline should take better care of its planes.

Air India said that while this particular flight did not have other unusual items in the toilets, its staff had found things like blankets, innerwear, and diapers clogging lavatories on previous flights.

This is not the first time Air India has faced such issues.

In 2017, a flight from Delhi to Chicago had similar problems when passengers flushed plastic bottles and sanitary products. A year earlier, a Newark-to-Mumbai flight had to land in Istanbul due to blocked toilets.

Other airlines have faced similar situations. In 2023, an Austrian Airlines plane had to return to Vienna because most of its lavatories became unusable.

Air France and United Airlines have also had to divert flights due to clogged toilets.