This was a silly flight.
Passengers on an Air India flight to Delhi did not travel anywhere for 10 hours when the plane was forced to return to Chicago.
Air India Flight 126 broke down from 12 toilets over Greenland on March 5, with the only working toilet in the business class section that can be used by around 300 passengers.
According to FlightAware Trackers, the extended peaked-up pedance began nearly five hours after the 14-hour trip, forcing the airliner to return to Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.
“On landing in Chicago, all passengers and crew members were successfully disembarked and accommodation was provided to minimize inconvenience,” the company said in a statement, citing only “technical issues.”
“Additional arrangements have been made to fly passengers to their destinations,” the airliner added.
Air India said it would offer a refund for cancellations, but that was little relief for some customers. They claimed they were forced to jump over the hoop and reschedule or refund the flight.
One customer said he used the travel life miles along with an Avianca passenger plane to book his cousin’s first class ticket to fly for a wedding in India.
“We have now found a way to get a refund for Miles tickets during the hell of customer service with Avianca, Lifemeal and Air India,” the frustrated client told View from Wing.
Air India did not immediately respond to a request to post additional information about the incident.
It’s not uncommon for airplane toilets to get clogged. This usually foams when passengers flush out items that are not allowed to pipe.
Even one or two clogged toilets are enough for the plane to turn the plane and land as the plane crew is turning and the number of washrooms available is limited.
