Air India is back in the news for all the wrong reasons as the airline had to divert one of its planes due to clogged toilets, turning the journey into a 10-hour flight to nowhere.
The airline blames passengers for flushing various objects down the toilet which caused the malfunction and the crew decided they couldn’t continue their ultra long haul flight to India, forcing them to divert.
Air India’s route from Chicago to Delhi is currently the only nonstop flight and the airline’s longest route, so naturally they need working lavatories on this 14:30h long flight.
According to ABC7 Chicago, an Air India spokesperson said passengers flushed rags, clothes and plastic bags down the toilets, rendering them inoperative less than five hours into the flight.
An Air India flight headed to Delhi had to divert back to Chicago after the plane’s toilets became clogged last week.
The airline said the incident happened on AI126, which departed from Chicago O’Hare International Airport on Wednesday.
Crews reported that some of the lavatories in the business and economy classes were not working about an hour and 45 minutes into the flight.
As part of an investigation, teams found polythene bags, rags, and clothes that had been flushed down and stuck in the plumbing, the airline said. …
Eight of the plane’s 12 lavatories became unserviceable, “causing discomfort to all on board,” the airline added.
By that time, the airline said, the plane was flying over the Atlantic Ocean, but due to restrictions on night operations at most of the European airports, the flight diverted back to Chicago.
“The decision to divert was taken entirely in the interest of passenger comfort and safety,” the airline said.
The airline said it provided all passengers with hotel accommodations and alternative flight options to continue to Delhi.
Air India said its teams have previously also found objects such as blankets, innerwear, and diapers, among other waste, flushed down the toilets on other flights. …
I don’t know what the heck is wrong with these passengers on Air India. The airline famously features a sign in their lavatories saying to NOT FLUSH YOUR PYJAMAS DOWN THE TOILET. I’ve never seen that anywhere else.
Admittedly I’ve only flown Air India once but that alone was a surreal experience and yes, it also included a toilet. It was when Air India got the new Dreamliners, and when I had to go to the restroom, the toilet was literally filled to the brim. The passengers apparently didn’t figure out how to flush and just continued using it – until the bowl itself was FULL! I used my foot (wearing shoes) to push the flush button from afar and it worked perfectly well, judging by the prolonged slurping sound I’ll never forget again. It was disgusting.
FlightAware shows the plane turning around after about 1/3 of the distance, returning to Chicago O’Hare airport to deal with the maintenance issue.
Why did Air India return to Chicago? I’m sure that consideration included logistical reasons and given that many if not most, passengers are probably Indian, diverting the plane to the UK or Europe where they would require a visa would prove to be a nightmare for both the airline and passengers.
While London and Frankfurt are Air India destinations, and protocols exist for passengers to be disembarked and accommodated during emergencies, I’m not sure what the actual requirements would be. In the very least, it would require an hour-long wait and rebooking passengers onto other connections, likely a day or two after.
Here is the official statement by Air India:
MEDIA STATEMENT ON AI126 CHICAGO-DELHI/05 March 2025
“We are aware of some social media posts about the unserviceable lavatories on AI126 operating Chicago to Delhi on 05 March 2025 that caused the flight’s diversion back to its origin, Chicago O’Hare International Airport. We would like to confirm that as part of our investigation into the incident, our teams found polythene bags, rags, and clothes that had been flushed down and stuck in the plumbing.
This led the lavatories to become unserviceable. While we fully empathise with passengers who faced discomfort and whose travel plans have been affected by the flight’s diversion, we would like to put forth the following facts about the flight:
•The flight departed in time at 1648 Hrs (UTC). •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. Subsequently, eight of the 12 lavatories in the aircraft became unserviceable, causing discomfort to all on board.
•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.
•Upon landing at Chicago, all passengers were provided immediate assistance, including hotel accommodation and alternative flight options to continue their journey to Delhi.
While not found on AI126 of 05 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. We take this opportunity to urge passengers to use lavatories only for the purposes that they are meant for.”
– Air India Spokesperson
This aircraft ended up sitting in O’Hare for a considerable period of time to undergo maintenance, meaning that these savages who flushed the items down caused quite a bit of damage.
Ajay, who runs Live From a Lounge, had an “interesting” post on X showcasing the contents:
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? https://t.co/2g3HCeIHhX pic.twitter.com/SdUdVAyYST
— Ajay Awtaney (@LiveFromALounge) March 10, 2025
Following the incident, passengers complained in media reports and on social media how badly the airline handled the situation, causing them to wait and be stranded in Chicago for a long period of time.
I’d say no matter how they handled it, maybe direct your outrage at the people who can’t behave like civilized human beings. If you flush your clothes down an airplane toilet you have no business traveling abroad!
Conclusion
Air India flight AI126 which departed Chicago for Delhi last Wednesday was forced to return to O’Hare airport after 2/3 of the toilets stopped working a few hours into the flight.
The reason? Passengers flushed rags, plastic bags and clothing items down the toilets, clogging them and rendering them permanently inoperative. Obviously a full Boeing 77W can’t fly another 12 hours without many toilets so it was indeed necessary to divert the plane.
Having these issues with passengers flushing things down the toilet is endemic with Air India. They have signs, they make announcements and still, AI passengers don’t get it. I have not the slightest idea what it is with India and toilets that causes such situations!? Mind blowing!
