A New York-bound Air India flight returned to Mumbai on Monday after a bomb threat note was found inside its toilet.
On Thursday, a flight from Chicago to Delhi had to turn back after being airborne for over 10 hours because of clogged lavatories, adding to the list of inconveniences that passengers of the carrier have been facing of late.
On Monday’s disruption, a spokesperson for Air India said a potential security threat was detected midflight and it returned to Mumbai “in the interest of the safety and security of all on board”. Sources said there were 322 people on board, including 19 crew members, in the Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft.
Responding to queries about the Chicago-Delhi flight, an Air India spokesperson said the aircraft had to return after eight of its 12 lavatories became unserviceable. A probe found that polythene bags, rags and clothes that had been flushed down the toilets had got stuck in the plumbing.
“About an hour and forty-five minutes into the flight, the crew reported some of the lavatories in the business and economy classes to be unserviceable. Subsequently, eight of the 12 lavatories in the aircraft became unserviceable, causing discomfort to all on board,” the spokesperson said.
“By this time, the aircraft was flying over the Atlantic, leaving points in Europe as potential cities to divert to. However, due to restrictions on night operations at most of the European airports, it was decided to divert back to Chicago.”
Upon landing in Chicago, passengers were provided immediate assistance, including hotel accommodation and alternative flight options to continue their journey to Delhi, the airline said.
The two incidents come close on the heels of complaints about the airline’s substandard in-flight amenities and services.
Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had last month complained about a “broken” seat allotted to him. “I am not concerned about my discomfort, but charging passengers full fare and then making them sit on defective and uncomfortable seats is unethical. Isn’t this a form of deception towards passengers?" Chouhan posted on X on February 22.
The civil aviation ministry had sought a response from Air India on the issue. The airline had also apologised to Chouhan for the “inconvenience”.
Several flyers have since shared on social media their dissatisfactory travel experiences with Air India.
A woman recently posted on X about the non-availability of a pre-booked wheelchair that resulted in the fall of her 82-year-old grandmother at Delhi airport.
Air India later cited unprecedented peak demand for a 15-minute delay in providing the wheelchair to the elderly lady. The airline said the woman’s claim of having waited for an hour for the wheelchair was baseless.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation had imposed a penalty of ₹30 lakh on Air India in December for installing and operating a Boeing aircraft with an external livery without its permission.
Shakti Lumba, a retired airline official and the current president of the Professional Pilots Society, blamed the rising complaints on the old fleet being operated by Air India. “The problem is with old aircraft. They are slowly upgrading the planes but it will take time,” he said.
Lumba said many Air India employees took voluntary retirement after the Tata Group took over the debt-ridden airline in 2022 and were replaced by inexperienced and poorly trained staff.