Air India flight from Chicago-Delhi makes a U-turn after 8 of 12 toilets clogged; here’s what an inquiry found
An Air India flight from Chicago to Delhi returned to its origin airport on March 5, an hour and forty-five minutes into the flight, due to clogged toilets.
A statement from the airlines said eight out of 12 of its toilets became “unserviceable” and the flight had to return to Chicago. Videos of passengers of Flight AI216 were shared on social media on Monday.
“As part of our investigation into the incident, our teams found polythene bags, rags, and clothes that had been flushed down and (were) stuck in the plumbing. This led the lavatories to become unserviceable,” an Air India spokesperson said.
The flight left Chicago O’Hare International Airport at 4.48 pm (US time).
“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,” the statement 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 spokesperson added.
