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Asian airline puzzled by mysterious mid-air toilet clogs
Any time you put 300 people in a metal tube, the strain on the in-flight toilet system is going to be immense - but Hong Kong based airline Cathay Pacific is having more than just a bit of trouble. The airline is actually dealing with a huge mystery. Their toilets are so unreliable that a Hong Kong bound flight had to make an unscheduled landing in Mumbai, India when all ten of the bathrooms became clogged and unusable.
The 278 passengers on the "crappy" flight were delayed for 18 hours. But to be honest, I'd rather spend 18 hours in Mumbai than 18 minutes on a plane with no bathrooms.
In other incidents, two other Hong Kong bound flights had to refuse boarding to a substantial amount of passengers when all the bathrooms on one side of the plane stopped working.
All these incidents are on the Airbus A330 and A340 aircraft, and Cathay Pacific is said to be working overtime to figure out what is causing the problem. A Cathay Pacific spokeswoman suggested that passengers may be to blame.
Until the real reason is uncovered, engineers are carrying out deep cleaning treatment and replacing pipes.'You would be amazed at what we find in the pipes when we clean the system - not just face towels but medicine bottles, socks and even children's stuffed toys,'
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Dok Nov 29th 2009 3:29PM
Mr. Crapper would be interested in this story -- He was the inventor of the "Flush Toilet".
Curious 'what's in a Name'..
Mkir Nov 29th 2009 3:36PM
Same thing happened to us on a recent Thai Airways flight -- all toilets on one side of the airplane clogged up and stopped working. The equipment was an Airbus A330.
Garth Calderhead Nov 29th 2009 3:50PM
They don't have toilets on Piper Cubs, my friends.
Ron Nov 29th 2009 6:37PM
They certainly don't. You just put it into a tight right banking turn and open the door.
Bo Nov 29th 2009 3:54PM
Same thing happened to me on an Air France flight from Paris to New York. No toilets were available in economy for more than 4 hours - and nobody was allowed to go to the one working in first class! Very painful. Sick bags were being considered for relief for other than you know what. You guessed it: It was an Airbus 340. The indication given was that it had to do with a computer malfunction that would not let the toilets flush....I have over 4 million flight miles and never had a serious problem in a Boeing aircraft, only Airbus.
Brian Nov 29th 2009 5:28PM
The more I hear the more I believe Airbus airplanes are junk.
janet Nov 29th 2009 5:54PM
hmm the thought of spending 18 hours in the Mumbai airport? I was there in the apparent crown room with the toilet or what was thought to be the toilet and no toilet paper....I would be afraid to have gotten close to the area of the toilet in the crown room.....just a toilet and then a hole in the floor for hmm what....I would rather spend the 18 minutes on the flight with no restrooms...go to Mumbai to the crown room........try it you might like it???
bill Nov 29th 2009 7:12PM
Women with periods'll do it every time
:) Nov 29th 2009 8:03PM
jerk u try having a period jeez its not fun!
Aunt Jemima Nov 29th 2009 11:30PM
Bathrooms take up space that could be used for revenue generation so as the plans get larger, the number of bathrooms remain the same. Asian people are also now eating big Western style meals, no more rice and curry. There should be big fines and taxes placed on airlines that have bathroom problems.