An Austrian Airlines plane carrying 312 people was forced to return two hours into a flight from Vienna to New York after passengers clogged five of the eight toilets aboard.
The toilets inside the Boeing 777-200 with flight number OS088 were blocked so badly that cabin crews were urged to discontinue the eight-hour long journey and head back to Vienna on Monday, 17th April.
The crew decided to turn the plane – which at the time was flying over the city of Amsterdam, the Netherlands – around after realising that the toilets couldn’t be flushed properly due to a technical issue.
The company later reported that a vacuum problem was the reason for the defect.
An Austrian Airlines spokesperson said on Tuesday (18th April): “For the well-being and comfort of the 300 passengers, it was therefore decided to turn back.
“There would have been no way to repair the toilets in New York.”
The spokesperson explained that it was the first time that the company had experienced such a problem.
But she added that the toilets are already repaired, and that the plane is back in service.
Meanwhile, the 312 passengers on board had to be rebooked on other flights to Newark Airport upon arrival at Vienna International Airport.
The Boeing 777-200 – registered as OE-LPA – was used as a cargo plane for the transport of medical supplies during the Covid-19 pandemic.
It was converted back into a passenger plane and upgraded with seats – with the business class reduced by six seats, and Premium Economy and Economy being expanded – in February 2023.
The plane is reportedly 26 years old.
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Story By: Georgina Jadikovska, Sub-Editor: Michael Leidig, Agency: Newsflash
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