New Delhi: An Air India flight from Chicago to Delhi was forced to return to its departure airport after multiple lavatories on board became unserviceable, as reported by the crew, due to clogged toilets caused by improper waste disposal.
The investigation by the concerned authorities revealed that the lavatories became unserviceable as polythene bags, rags, and clothes were flushed down and got stuck in the plumbing.
“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. 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,” Chicago O’Hare International Airport said.
The airport authorities said that the flight departed on time at 1648 Hrs (UTC), and 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, it was decided to divert back to Chicago due to restrictions on night operations at most of the European airports.
According to the authorities, the decision to divert was taken entirely in the interest of passenger comfort and safety.
Upon landing in Chicago, all passengers were immediately provided with assistance, including hotel accommodation and alternative flight options to continue their journey to Delhi.
“While not found on AI126 of March 5, 2025, our teams have previously also found objects such as blankets, innerwear, and nappies, 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,” an Air India spokesperson said.
