New Delhi: A Sydney-Melbourne-Delhi Air India flight (AI 301) had to be grounded in Melbourne on Friday as the toilets on board got clogged by the time it landed there.
"The maintenance unit worked on the problem in Melbourne. By the time the toilets were cleared, the crew hit the flying duty limit and they could not have operated the long oceanic flight to Delhi," an AI official said.
The 148 passengers had to be sent to Delhi on other airlines, an airline spokesman said. Flying to Delhi with unserviceable toilets when 148 passengers—apart from crew—on board who would be served a full meal, snacks and unlimited drinks was clearly not an option.
This is at least the third time this year that an AI long-haul flight has been disrupted due to clogged loos, raising question marks on the airline's maintenance unit.
04/10/14 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India
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"The maintenance unit worked on the problem in Melbourne. By the time the toilets were cleared, the crew hit the flying duty limit and they could not have operated the long oceanic flight to Delhi," an AI official said.
The 148 passengers had to be sent to Delhi on other airlines, an airline spokesman said. Flying to Delhi with unserviceable toilets when 148 passengers—apart from crew—on board who would be served a full meal, snacks and unlimited drinks was clearly not an option.
This is at least the third time this year that an AI long-haul flight has been disrupted due to clogged loos, raising question marks on the airline's maintenance unit.
04/10/14 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India
