Air India issued a statement Monday and said that polythene bags, rags, and clothes had been flushed down in its flight AI 126, which led to the forced return of its flight from Chicago to Delhi on March 6.

The airlines also urged passengers to use lavatories only for the purposes that they are meant for.

The airline’s statement admitted to social media posts regarding unserviceable lavatories on AI126 and provided details of the investigation into the incident.

“We are aware of some social media posts about the unserviceable lavatories on AI126 operating Chicago to Delhi on 05 March 2025 that caused the flight’s diversion back to its origin, Chicago O’Hare International Airport. We would like to confirm that as part of our investigation into the incident, our teams found polythene bags, rags, and clothes that had been flushed down and stuck in the plumbing. This led the lavatories to become unserviceable,” the airline said in a statement.

The statement said that about one hour and forty-five minutes into the flight, the crew informed that some of the lavatories were unserviceable, and by the time the aircraft was flying over the Atlantic, leaving points in Europe, eight of the 12 lavatories turned useless.

“Due to restrictions on night operations at most of the European airports, it was decided to divert back to Chicago. The decision to divert was taken entirely in the interest of passenger comfort and safety," it added.

Air India states that the airlines provided hotel accommodation and alternative flight options to all the passengers to continue their journey to Delhi.

The flight, carrying over 340 passengers and featuring 12 lavatories, returned to Chicago after being airborne for more than ten hours.

A source familiar with the situation told PTI on March 6, that the return was necessary because many of the lavatories were clogged, with only one remaining functional.