Air India blames passengers, evades accountability for clogged toilets

'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 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', read part of the statement issued by Air India about the flight which was forced to fly back to Chicago owing to unusable lavatories.

The statement, however, is far from convincing, stating as it does that the flight was less than two hours in the air after take-off when the crew reported that some of the 12 toilets were clogged. Two hours later, the number of clogged toilets in the plane rose to 8 eight or 11 out of 12, according to varying accounts. Four-and-a-half hours into the flight, the commander decided to turn back to Chicago after failing to get permission to land at night in European countries which were closer.

The question that the statement does not address is: is it at all possible for toilets to get clogged in less than two hours in the sky? So many toilets? And so many passengers doing the unthinkable?

One assumes the plane was thoroughly checked before receiving clearance to take off. One also assumes that such an incident has never been reported in aviation history on Air India or any other airline.

So the only explanation that remains is: this was coordinated sabotage by a section of passengers, presumably at the bidding of a rival airline. Does that, however, make sense? To most air passengers, it does not.

“The in-flight toilet is not large enough to flush down blankets or inner garments. Looks like the person who has written the statement was high on alcohol or on some kind of drug,” quipped a social media post. Another irate passenger asked, “Since toilets were unserviceable within 1 hour 45 minutes, proves that the plane was not checked before the flight took off? Tomorrow you will forget to fuel the aircraft? Is this a joke?”

Cartoons and memes lampooned Air India’s Maharajah wishing passengers a ‘pissful’ flight. Another cartoon depicted commodes in place of seats in the cabins. An AI-generated image took a swipe by claiming that as per new protocol for the crew, they would have to demonstrate stuff that passengers are not expected to flush down the lavatories in the plane.

Consumer rights activist Bejon Mishra told Mirror Now TV that Air India could not possibly pass the buck to the passengers. It was a quality and accountability issue, and someone responsible for the quality check failed to do their job, he felt, and wondered how it was possible, since Air India is known to hire the very best in the industry.

Most reactions to the bizarre incident, however, lamented the lack of a sense of hygiene among Indian passengers.

Air India’s statement reproduced here:

“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.”