Air India Flight Turns Around Mid-Route Due to Clogged Toilets

When Air India Flight AI126 departed Chicago bound for Delhi on March 5, passengers expected a 14-hour transatlantic journey. Instead, they got a 10-hour round trip back to where they started—thanks to an unexpected and deeply unpleasant issue: clogged toilets.

The Issue Mid-Flight

Roughly two hours into the flight, the crew began reporting multiple lavatories becoming inoperable. According to The Indian Express, eight out of the aircraft's twelve toilets were out of service, leading to discomfort for the nearly 300 passengers onboard.

Rather than diverting to a European airport—many of which have overnight landing restrictions—the flight crew opted to turn around and return to Chicago O’Hare. By the time the aircraft touched down, passengers had spent nearly ten hours in the air, with no real progress toward India.

What Caused the Blockage?

Air India's post-flight investigation revealed that passengers had flushed items like plastic bags, rags, and even clothing down the lavatories, clogging the aircraft's vacuum waste system. As a result, waste couldn't be properly evacuated, rendering most of the lavs unusable. According to NDTV, similar objects—such as diapers and innerwear—have been discovered on past flights.

Check out the photos from what was clogging the toilets in this video from Simple Flying.

In a statement, the airline reminded passengers that aircraft lavatories are not trash bins and called for "responsible behavior to ensure such incidents are not repeated."

Passenger Reactions

While no formal complaints have been released, travelers were understandably frustrated. The New York Post described it as a “nine-hour flight to nowhere,” and Business Insider called it a “bizarre in-flight toilet disaster.” One passenger reportedly commented that it felt like being “held hostage by someone else’s bad behavior.”

Air India rebooked affected travelers and provided overnight accommodations in Chicago, though the airline declined to specify how many passengers missed connections or onward plans due to the delay.

Tips to Avoid This Mess

For passengers: never flush anything besides human waste and toilet paper. Airplane toilets use powerful vacuum systems that aren’t designed to handle foreign objects. If you’re unsure what can go in, ask a flight attendant or use the waste bin typically located in the lavatory.

For airlines, this incident may underscore the need for clearer passenger education, more frequent lav checks during long-haul flights, and perhaps even signage upgrades in multiple languages.