After setting off with just one working toilet, disaster struck on board a Virgin Australia flight between Bali and Brisbane when the last loo standing became totally clogged
Passengers were forced to wee in bottles on board a busy flight after the toilets failed as an elderly woman endured the “humiliation” of wetting herself mid-air.
Travellers were told to improvise after all the plane’s loos malfunctioned during the torturous six-hour Virgin flight between Bali and Brisbane. Air stewards slapped signs on the WC saying it was now out of order following a huge blockage – after the Boeing 737 MAX 8’s rear toilets had already been taken out of service.
It left those on board without anywhere to go – and bottles were reportedly dished out for those who couldn’t hold it in. There was annoyance that the flight was not delayed or cancelled due to lack of engineering support on the ground, with two of the three cubicles unusable before the plane left the tarmac.
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One passenger hit out at the airline and told The Australian about the chaos on board. They said: “One elderly woman was unable to hold on and suffered the humiliation of wetting herself in public. Midway through the flight, every toilet had failed. The cabin crew informed us we would need to relieve ourselves in bottles or ‘on top of whatever was already in the toilet’.”
Virgin Australia apologised, with an airline spokesperson telling news.com.au: “A Virgin Australia flight from Denpasar to Brisbane on Thursday evening experienced an issue during the flight which affected the serviceability of the lavatories. We sincerely apologise to our guests and thank our crew for managing a challenging situation on board.”
The Australian Transport Workers Union went on to tell the publication that its representatives have approached Virgin following the events. The union called it a “distressing event, which constitutes a severe hazard both for crew and passengers”.
TWU national assistant secretary Emily McMillan said: “Across the board, aviation workers are dealing with increasing risks to their health and safety at work, with an industry-wide trend towards profits over performance. We need to see decisions made in the interest of public and workers, not just prioritise getting planes out to maximise profits at the expense of the community.”
In April, passengers onboard a Virgin Atlantic flight were left stranded at a military airfield after their plane was forced into an emergency landing when a woman was taken seriously ill. The passengers said they had been left in limbo with “no food” for 24 hours and “felt cut off from the world”.
Vulnerable fliers include diabetic patients, babies and a pregnant woman all of whom were left “abandoned” at a military hub after the medical incident 30,000ft in the air. Virgin Atlantic Flight VS358 left Heathrow at 11.40am on Wednesday and diverted to Diyarbakir Airport, Turkey at around 4.30pm. The flight had been due to land in Mumbai, India at 1.40am on Thursday local time.
But after the mid-air drama, the Airbus A350 suffered a technical issue – and was unable to take-off again for India after the female passenger had been escorted off the plane having fallen seriously unwell. The remaining passengers were told to disembark the plane but were denied entry to collect carry-on luggage and belongings.
A Virgin Atlantic spokesperson told the Mirror: “We’re sorry that Virgin Atlantic flight VS358 from London Heathrow to Mumbai on 2nd April was disrupted following an urgent medical diversion to Diyarbakır Airport in Turkey. Due to the nature of the landing, the aircraft required extensive technical inspection before the aircraft was cleared to operate.
“The safety and security of our customers and crew remains our highest priority, and we sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused and prolonged delay. Our customers were provided with overnight hotel accommodation on Thursday evening ahead of their onward journey today.
“With all necessary technical approvals now secured, the plane departed Diyarbakır Airport at 13:00 local time on Friday 4th April, operating as flight VS1358. Customers are now en route to Mumbai, with an expected arrival at approximately 20:49 local time.”