Polythene bags, rags, clothes: Check what clogged Air India flight's lavatories and forced its return to US

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.

Passengers onboard an Air India flight from Chicago to Delhi suffered a 10-hour ordeal because all but one of its toilets became clogged and inoperable. Air India Flight AI126 was making its way over Greenland on March 5 when 11 out of its 12 toilets broke down, with the only working toilet located in the business class section for some 300 passengers, according to reports. The airline also issued photos in which it can be seen several substances were being pulled out of the plumbing pipes.

Air India issued a statement and stated, “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," Air India spokesperson said.

Chain of events that happened on Air India flight AI126 as reported by the airline

• 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 in 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,” said an Air India Spokesperson

Earlier, the spokesperson said that alternative arrangements were made in time for the passengers to take them to their destination. "AI126 operating Chicago to Delhi on 6 March 2025 air-returned to Chicago due to a technical issue. Upon landing at Chicago, all passengers and crew disembarked normally and have been provided with accommodation to minimise inconvenience," the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson further said that they were being given full refunds on cancellation and complimentary rescheduling. "Alternative arrangements are being made to fly the passengers to their destination. In addition, full refunds on cancellation and complimentary rescheduling are also being offered to passengers if opted by them. At Air India, the safety and wellbeing of our customers and crew remain top priority," the spokesperson said.

*With Agency Inputs