AI Toronto-Delhi flight diverted as 5 toilets clogged
An Air India flight from Toronto to Delhi was diverted to Frankfurt around six hours through its journey after several lavatories aboard the Boeing 777 aircraft were clogged, said people aware of the matter, in what is the second such incident in less than two months on a flight operated by the airline.
The incident took place on May 2. Flight AI 188, a Boeing 777 aircraft, took off from Frankfurt and resumed its journey to Delhi a 'couple of hours' later, once the washrooms were made available.
An official aware of the matter said, 'The flight had to be diverted to Frankfurt as at least five washrooms were clogged.' A Boeing 777 typically has 12 washrooms.
The airline, in a statement issued on Monday, confirmed the diversion and attributed it to a 'technical issue'.
'Air India flight AI188 of 02 May 2025, operating non-stop from Toronto to Delhi, was diverted to Frankfurt due to a technical issue. The flight was airborne from Frankfurt within a couple of hours and proceeded to its destination, Delhi. We would like to reiterate that at Air India, the safety and well-being of our customers and crew remain top priority,' an Air India spokesperson said.
The flight took off from Toronto's Pearson International Airport at 6.14 pm (local time) and landed in Delhi on the evening of May 3.
Friday's incident comes less than two months after an Air India flight from Chicago to Delhi returned to the American city 10 hours after taking off, after all but one of its lavatories were clogged.
The airline, at the time, attributed the issue blockages to polythene bags, rags, and clothes being stuffed down the toilets.
A former airline official called the issue 'chronic'.
'Washrooms largely become unavailable for use because passengers dump rags, diapers, polythene bags, and clothes, clogging them. It could also happen as mineral scaling can curtail plumbing systems. This is because the systems in the aircraft are old,' said the official who asked not to be named
'There are three independent sewage lines on the 777. In case one of the lines gets blocked, it directly impacts a third of the total washrooms,' the official added.
A former pilot requesting anonymity said, 'Flights that have more senior citizens and kids are the ones that encounter such issues. Usually, pilots apologise for the inconvenience, but continue with the flight, if the situation is manageable. It is when a majority of the washrooms become unserviceable that they decide to divert and get help.'
Mark D Martin of Martin consulting, an aviation consulting and safety firm based in Asia, said, 'Clogged toilets again can't be because of the same reason as before. This should be a maintenance issue.'
'If the flight was able to take off within two hours from Frankfurt, it would be one of the quickest turnaround times in such a scenario,' the former pilot concluded.
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