Air India flight returns to Chicago after 10-hour 'trip to nowhere' due to clogged toilets
Passengers on an Air India flight from Chicago to Delhi endured a 10-hour trip to nowhere when the plane returned to the American city after some of its lavatories became clogged, according to reports.
While confirming that flight AI126 had to return to Chicago O’Hare International Airport, the airline said the plane faced a “technical issue.”
All passengers and crew disembarked normally, it added.
“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. Alternative arrangements are being made to fly the passengers to their destination,” said the airline.
However, a person aware of the matter said the decision to turn back was made when nine of the 10 lavatories on the Boeing 777-300 ER jet were backed up.
“Only one of the business class lavatories was functional,” the person added.
🔥🚨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
As per Flightradar24, a flight tracking website, the aircraft reversed course about four hours and 25 minutes into the journey, shortly after passing Greenland’s coastline. The flight departed from Chicago at 11 am on Wednesday and landed back around 9 pm.
The passengers aboard had to endure a 10-hour trip to nowhere. The aircraft has a capacity of 342 passengers, including 303 economy seats.
The airline said plane toilets often get clogged, usually when passengers flush unauthorized items. As seen in the past, even one or two blocked lavatories can be enough for a flight crew to turn back due to the limited restroom availability.
Full refunds on cancellations and complimentary rescheduling were also offered to passengers.
