Passengers endure almost 10-hour flight to nowhere after bags and clothes stuffed into toilets
Incident sparks social media debate about airline toilet etiquette
JaneWalter
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An Air India flight from Chicago to Delhi was forced to turn back after eight of the 12 toilets on the aircraft were clogged.
An investigation found that the toilets were clogged by polythene bags, rags and clothes that had been flushed down and stuck in the plumbing, Air India said in a statement on Monday.
Flight AI126 had left the Chicago O’Hare international airport at 4.48 pm local time on 5 March for a 14-hour journey to Delhi.
“About an hour and forty-five minutes into the flight, the crew reported some of the lavatories in business and economy class to be unserviceable,” it said. “By this time, the aircraft was overflying the Atlantic, leaving points in Europe as potential cities to divert to. However, due to restrictions on night operations at most of the European airports, it was decided to divert back to Chicago. The decision to divert was taken entirely in the interest of passenger comfort and safety.”
Finding no viable stopover options, the plane, with nearly 300 passengers on board, turned back and landed in Chicago.
Tracking data from Flightradar24 showed the plane was near Greenland when it reversed course, logging just under 10 hours in the air.
“Passengers were provided immediate assistance, including hotel accommodation and alternative flight options to continue their journey to Delhi,” Air India said.
The airline said that “eight out of 12 lavatories in the aircraft became unserviceable, causing discomfort to all on board”, sparking a debate on social media about the toilet etiquette of the passengers.
While many people blamed passenger behaviour, some criticised the airline’s upkeep. One user wrote on X: “Will the person who felt compelled to flush their clothes down the toilet and the other people who don’t trash their tissues on AI126 please stand up and pay Air India for the diversion please?”
“My mom once flew NYC to DEL on an Air India plane that was leaking toilet water into the aisle,” a Reddit user complained. “So, yes this is normal.”
Another commented: “At this point, it is on people who fly on AI especially on international sectors. I understand it might be convenient for senior citizens and folks with kids to take a nonstop but seriously think about the convenience being offered here.”
A Reddit user claiming to have been on the flight said: “Apparently the crew knew about it but decided to take off. Then the captain did not announce that the flight was returning back. Some passengers noticed it on the screen flight map and raised the issue.”
Another social media user criticised the airline: “Tell me its AI, without telling me it’s AI.”
“My family flew AI a month ago from ORD to DEL, and they told me only four toilets were working. So, in an entire month, they didn’t bother fixing the aircraft,” one Reddit user claimed. “That’s a 15-hour flight and after just four to five hours, the remaining toilets were completely unusable. We had a toddler who needed to use the bathroom, and no amount of sanitiser or face masks could make up for the unsanitary conditions. After arriving in India, they ended up hospitalised for two weeks. I had a similar experience last week on my DEL-IAD flight. I took pictures and videos and will be posting them here and on X soon.”
The Independent has reached out to Tata Group, which owns Air India, for comment.
The airline urged travellers to use plane lavatories properly. “While not found on AI126 of 5 March 2025, our teams have previously also found objects such as blankets, innerwear, and diapers, among other waste, having been flushed down the toilets on other flights.”
Issues with toilets have forced several flights to make emergency landings over the years. In 2017, an Air India flight from Delhi to Chicago saw all its working toilets go out of use mid-flight, allegedly due to passengers flushing plastic bottles and sanitary items.
A year earlier, an Air India flight from Newark to Mumbai had to land in Istanbul after all its toilets stopped functioning.
More recently, an Air France flight was diverted to Brazil and a United Airlines flight turned back to Germany due to similar plumbing failures.
In 2023, an Austrian Airlines plane returned to Vienna after most of its toilets became unusable.
Tata Group took back control of Air India after nearly 69 years in 2022. Tata had founded the airline in 1932, but it was nationalised in 1953.
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