
Air India Toronto-Delhi flight diverted to Frankfurt due to clogged toilets
NEW DELHI: An
aircraft heading from Toronto to Delhi was rerouted to Frankfurt on May 2 due to blocked toilets, according to PTI sources. The airline's official response, reported on Tuesday, indicated a technical fault as the cause of diversion.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
PTI sources within the airline revealed that flight AI188's diversion was necessary because several toilets were non-functional.
On May 2, Air India flight AI188's non-stop service from Toronto to Delhi landed in Frankfurt citing technical difficulties. "The flight resumed its journey to Delhi from Frankfurt after approximately two hours," stated the Air India representative.
The service utilised a Boeing 7770-337 (ER) aircraft, according to Flightradar24.com tracking data.
The aircraft had been in service for 15.8 years, as documented by Planespotters.net.
A report indicated that Air India faces challenges with long-distance flights due to its ageing fleet and passenger conduct.
This incident marked the second occurrence in under two months where an
due to toilet blockages. Previously, on March 6, flight AI126 travelling from Chicago to Delhi returned after more than 10 hours in the air because of similar issues.
On March 10, Air India released a comprehensive statement regarding the March 6 Chicago-Delhi flight incident.
The crew reported malfunctioning toilets in both Business and Economy sections approximately one hour and forty-five minutes into the journey. "Eventually, eight out of twelve aircraft toilets became non-functional, causing passenger discomfort," stated the airline regarding flight AI126.
The airline subsequently requested passengers to "use lavatories appropriately" and disclosed finding items including blankets, undergarments, and nappies flushed down toilets on various flights.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
The majority of wide-body aircraft serving US and Canadian routes are older, leading to recurring plumbing issues. The aged, interconnected pipe system means a single waste tank blockage affects half the aircraft's toilets. Wide-body aircraft typically feature two waste tanks connected to the toilet pipes, the source explained.
Additionally, the certain passengers are seen to carelessly dispose of rubbish in toilets, causing blockages.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Mint
4 hours ago
- Mint
A blockbuster battle of global airline alliances is playing out in India
Early this month, on the sidelines of IATA's 81st AGM, which was held in India after a gap of four decades, IndiGo signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Delta Air Lines, Virgin Atlantic, KLM and Air France. The MoU, when firmed, will see IndiGo being able to offer its passengers flights to 30 points in Europe beyond Amsterdam on KLM, points beyond Paris, Amsterdam and London to North America with Delta Air Lines, KLM and Air France, and to North America from Manchester with Virgin Atlantic. One would wonder why these airlines would want to partner with IndiGo, which has a vastly different experience on offer and has had an LCC DNA for years. The answer to this lies in how the alliance wars are playing out in India. Data obtained from Cirium, an aviation analytics company, exclusively for this article, shows that amongst the three large airline alliances in the world, SkyTeam, which counts Air France, KLM, Virgin Atlantic and Delta Air Lines as its members, has the lowest percentage of seats. Star Alliance, with a member airline in India in the form of Air India, has the highest capacity on international routes out of India. A total of 2.3 lakh seats are on offer each week out of India to destinations outside India, and a staggering 62.2% of the seats on offer are flown by low-cost carriers or carriers that are not affiliated with any of the alliances, like IndiGo. 19.9% of all seats, or 45,994 seats, are flown by Star Alliance carriers, 12 of whom, including Air India, operate to and from India. This is followed by OneWorld, which sees 10 carriers operate to India and offers 26,601 seats per week or 11.5% of the total. The last is SkyTeam with eight carriers and 5.9% of total international seats, or 13,720 weekly seats. The spread is thinner for SkyTeam, with the member airlines operating to six airports in the country, while Star Alliance members fly to eight, and OneWorld carriers fly to 16 airports in India. Star Alliance, with Air India being part of it, has the advantage of routing traffic via Delhi, Air India's hub. India is the third-largest domestic aviation market in the world and is growing rapidly. The country has climbed ranks and is now the third-largest economy in the world. With business, trade, diaspora and tourism the main drivers for Indians, airlines across the world are betting on the world's most populous country to be their carrier of choice. This is being led by Air India and now IndiGo, with the likes of Emirates and Etihad pouncing on the traffic. European carriers have a smaller presence than Middle Eastern carriers due to how the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) has been structured over the years. The growth of traffic in mature markets remains muted and ranges between 1% - 3%, while India recovered much earlier than global estimates post-pandemic, making the market lucrative. There is a thin line between who is more important to whom. Is IndiGo more important to the SkyTeam carriers, or are these four airlines important partners for IndiGo? This thin line is what makes this a match made in heaven. IndiGo, for its expansion, cannot rely on destination-centric traffic alone, which is seasonal at best. It has to find ways to cater to transatlantic as well as European traffic, for which it requires a strong partnership. While IndiGo may be a strong airline in India and the neighbourhood, intercontinental is a different ball game. On the other hand, the likes of KLM, Virgin Atlantic, and Air France have not had an opportunity to cater to more Indians after the fall of Jet Airways, with whom they had a strong partnership. Within Europe, these airlines are locking horns with the Lufthansa group, comprising Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian, among others, and the IAG group led by British Airways. International, unlike domestic, is dependent on BASA, and while Lufthansa has two hubs, KLM and Air France largely have a single hub, thus limiting the scope for expansion. This 'win-win' is what will bring these airlines closer in the future. Air India could well be stronger at Frankfurt, while IndiGo focuses on Paris, with Amsterdam slots being the thorn.


Economic Times
15 hours ago
- Economic Times
India builds aviation megahubs but policy bottlenecks stall global takeoff
Agencies On the tarmac, India looks unstoppable. Delhi's fourth runway and twin elevated taxiways are designed to raise the Capital's throughput to a staggering 109 mn passengers a year - higher than the tally of Atlanta, the world's busiest airport. Two new megahubs - Navi Mumbai, built to accommodate 60-90 mn travellers, and Noida's Jewar airport, planned for 70 mn - are racing towards mid-decade openings. Meanwhile, domestic carriers have ordered 1,359 jets, led by IndiGo's record 500-plane Airbus deal and Air India's 470-aircraft shopping spree. Yet, above this hardware boom hangs a policy bottleneck: 116 air service agreements (ASAs) that New Delhi has signed, dictating the terms of air operations with different nations. While ASAs are meant to facilitate travel between nations, their lack of dynamism leads to exhaustion of capacity and demand pile-up. For instance, the marquee India-Dubai bilateral still caps each side at 65,000 weekly seats, a limit last adjusted in 2014, which is now almost sold out. It is not just the bilateral with Dubai but individual MoUs with the Emirates (Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah) that are holding back Indian aviation growth - considering the strong 40 lakh Indian diaspora in the UAE. The result: fares surge during holiday seasons, middle-class families detour through Doha or Riyadh, and India's new terminals risk turning into gleaming domestic halls attached to half-shut international doors. The stakes are macroeconomic, not merely logistical. GDP boost IATA research finds that every 10% rise in a country's air-connectivity index lifts labour productivity by about 0.07%. For an economy approaching $4.1 tn, even a modest 10% connectivity bump created by phased liberalisation would add $2.9 bn to annual output. Aviation supports 7.7 mn jobs and contributes $53.6 bn, or 1.55 of GDP. Applying the same ratios suggests that closing the connectivity gap could create about 4,10,000 additional jobs across airlines, airports, logistics and supply chains. Namaste India GoI data shows forex earnings from tourists hit ₹2,31,927 cr ($28 bn) from 9.52 mn foreign tourist arrivals in 2023. A single extra million inbound travellers - plausible once fares drop and seats expand - would pump close to $3 bn more into hotels, restaurants and heritage ORF study, 'Combined Skies: Unlocking the Benefits of UAE-India Aviation Liberalisation for Indian Travellers', indicates that each 1% rise in India-UAE passenger volume trims average fares by about 0.2%. Consumer is king Granting Dubai the extra 50,000 weekly seats - roughly a 75% capacity jump - could shave 10- 15% off typical ticket prices, delivering an annual consumer surplus windfall well north of $100 mn. Gradual liberalisation in UAE-India air services can generate benefits for Indian consumers upwards of $1 bilateral quotas frozen while airport and fleet capacity explode is the economic equivalent of building an eight-lane expressway and barricading four lanes at the toll and Southeast Asian hubs are only too happy to harvest the spillover: roughly 30% of India's international traffic now flies to or through the UAE, clogging overseas runways that could just as well be Indian transfer protectionist argument - foreign mega-carriers will cannibalise home airlines - does not hold up against regional evidence. Asean's phased Single Aviation Market lifted third-, fourth- and fifth-freedom restrictions during the 2010s and saw passenger volumes and low-cost carrier penetration soar without extinguishing national carriers need open markets more than shelter, the freeze on rights hurts their ability to sweat those shiny new A321neos and A350s across profitable international debate over air services liberalisation is no longer a niche quarrel between airline CEOs and civil aviation bureaucrats. It is a strategic lever for growth, jobs and global stature. India has runways, terminals, aircraft and, critically, the demand. What it lacks is the regulatory clearance to knit these assets into a seamless Indo-Pacific air-logistics bilaterals - starting with a transparent, time-bound schedule of 15-20% annual seat increases between India and the UAE - would align policy with infra, slash fares, lift GDP, and propel millions of tourists directly into India's burgeoning hospitality alternative is to watch the world's fastest-growing aviation market taxi in circles while its neighbours claim the skies. The runway is built. The engines are spooled. New Delhi's only job now is to tell Indian aviation: wheels-up. The writer is researcher, Centre for New Economic Diplomacy, ORF. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are that of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of Elevate your knowledge and leadership skills at a cost cheaper than your daily tea. Warren Buffett-fan Pabrai is betting big on Edelweiss' Rashesh Shah. Will it pay off? Operation Sindoor, Turkey, Bangladesh played out as India hosted global airlines after 42 years HSBC's next move could shake up India's venture debt play We are already a global airline, carry the national name and are set to order more planes: Air India CEO Stock Radar: P&G Health stock gave a breakout from falling trendline on weekly charts; check target & stop loss Stock picks of the week: 5 stocks with consistent score improvement and return potential of more than 28% in 1 year Make India's growth story & your stock story same: 6 stocks representing the confidence of growth but confusion of stock prices Are they set for another round of re-rating? 7 power stocks from different segments with an upside potential of 11 to 52%


Time of India
18 hours ago
- Time of India
Mumbai train tragedy: Railways to redesign coaches; what are the new features?
Maharashtra train mishap (Pic credit: PTI) NEW DELHI: In the wake of Maharashtra train mishap, Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and railway board officials proposed major changes in the design and manufacturing of new non-AC trains on Monday, to avoid any dangerous incident. Earlier on Monday morning, four people were killed and nine others were injured after falling off two overcrowded local trains in Thane district during rush hour. The incident took place near Mumbra railway station when the trains were passing each other on a steep turn. Following the incident, Railway minister and railway board officials had a detailed meeting with the ICF (Integral Coach Factory) team and decided on major changes in the design and manufacturing of new non-AC trains to resolve the key issue of ventilation. According to railway ministry, three major changes have been decided, they are: First, the doors will have louvres. Second, coaches will have roof-mounted ventilation units to pump in fresh air. Third, the coaches will have vestibules so that passengers can move from one coach to another and balance out the crowd in a natural way. Railways further said that the first train of this new design will be ready by November 2025. "After necessary tests and certification, it will be put into service by January 2026," it added. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now