Air India is facing the wrath of netizens allegedly due to its clogged toilets after a flight en route from Chicago to Delhi was forced to turn back on Thursday. A spokesperson from the airline said that a technical snag forced the flight to circle back to the US. The passengers on board were offered a full refund with complimentary rescheduling, he added. However, the passengers claimed they were forced to rush to obtain a refund.
“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,” ANI quoted the spokesperson as saying.
“What An Embarrasment,” Passenger Writes
In an anonymous post on Reddit shared 4 days ago, a passenger claimed that the incident happened because 8 out of 12 toilets in the Air India flight were blocked! The flyer wrote, “Apparently the crew knew about it but decided to take off. Then captain did not announce that flight was returning back. Some passengers noticed it on the screen flight map and raised the issue. The air hostesses first dismissed them.” Calling the incident “embarrassing”, the Reddit user said that the caption made the announcement after some of the passengers created a ruckus over it.
Air India Chicago-Delhi returned back due to blocked toilets.
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A user posted the inside footage of the flight on X, where passengers were spotted trapped with no restroom. However, News24 couldn’t verify that the video belongs to the plane in question.
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE:
🔥🚨BREAKING: An Air India flight was forced to return on a 10 hour trip to Chicago Illinois because their toilets were clogged with poop leaving hundreds Indians trapped on a plane with no restroom.
Air India Flight 126 was making its way over Greenland on March 5 when 11 out… pic.twitter.com/FhPfMBYgzU
— Dom Lucre | Breaker of Narratives (@dom_lucre) March 9, 2025
Netizens Lash Air India
Netizens lashed at the Airline after the post went viral. A user said, “Every new day Air India sets for itself a new low bar for customer service.” Another user commented, “That aside, this situation raises serious concerns about Air India’s operational decisions and passenger communication. If the crew was aware that 8 out of 12 toilets were blocked, why did they allow takeoff? Basic facilities like functioning restrooms are essential on a long-haul flight, and this directly impacts passenger comfort and hygiene.” A third user wrote, “AI degrading itself with each passing day. I’ve flown AI with broken handrests and seat cushions coming out.”
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