The technical problem forces a 10 -hour trip back to the origin, affecting almost 300 passengers.
On March 5, 2025, Air India Flight 126, which operated from the Chicago O’Hare International Airport to the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, was forced to return to Chicago approximately 10 hours on its trip due to a significant technical problem with the aircraft bath system. The Boeing 777-300er, with almost 300 passengers, experienced the malfunction of 11 of its 12 bathrooms while flying over Greenland, leaving only an operational bath in the executive class section.
The flight had left Chicago at 11:24 am local time and, after approximately four and a half hours, found bath problems, which caused the decision to return. The plane landed safely in O’Hare at 9:08 pm
Upon arriving, all passengers and the crew land normally. Air India provided accommodations to minimize inconveniences and initiate alternative arrangements to transport passengers to their destination. The airline also offered complete reimbursements on cancellations and complementary reprogramming options.
While the bathroom malfunction can happen because the passengers are reddened by unauthorized items, which leads to obstruct, the aviation consultant Mark Martin said that it is “almost impossible for all washing machines to be clogged due to the failure of the passengers, and in a way that causes an emergency detour.”
This incident underlines the challenges faced by airlines to keep the facilities on board during long -distance flights and the importance of guaranteeing the comfort and safety of the passenger.
