Fact Check: Was An Air India Flight To Delhi Forced To Return Due To ‘Clogged Toilets’?

A video showing passengers arguing with airline staff has gone viral on social media, with many claiming that it was filmed on the Air India flight from Chicago to Delhi that was forced to turn back last week due to clogged toilets. However, the video is actually two months old and has no connection to the incident.

Clogged Toilets Force Air India Flight to Return

On March 6, Air India flight AI126 from Chicago to Delhi was forced to return to the US city after spending 10 hours in the air. The reason? Eight out of its 12 toilets became clogged, creating an uncomfortable situation for passengers.

“About an hour and forty-five minutes into the flight, the crew reported some of the lavatories in Business and Economy Class to be unserviceable,” an Air India spokesperson said in a statement on Monday. The issue worsened as the flight continued, and by the time the aircraft was over the Atlantic Ocean, two-thirds of the toilets were out of order, “causing discomfort to all on board.”

Initially, the airline described the issue as a “technical problem” but later clarified that the toilets became clogged because passengers had attempted to flush “polythene bags, rags, and clothes.”

Backlash Over the Incident

The incident led to widespread criticism, with many calling it an “embarrassment” for Air India. Among those who commented was social media user Dom Lucre, who was the first to share a video that showed Indian passengers arguing with airline staff mid-flight.

Lucre’s post implied that the video was from flight AI126, the same flight that was forced to turn back due to clogged toilets. His post quickly went viral, garnering nearly 18 million views and attracting hundreds of comments, many of which contained racist overtones.

Several major news websites picked up the video and reported it without verifying when or where it was actually filmed. Soon, the video spread across multiple platforms, including X, Reddit, and Instagram.

The Truth Behind the Viral Video

A quick Google search and reverse image search reveal that the video was not recorded in March 2025, as claimed, but actually two months earlier, in January 2025.

HT.com discovered that the video was originally posted on X on January 6, 2025. It shows passengers arguing with the crew on an Air India flight from London. Reports suggest that the confrontation occurred after passengers were informed that their flight had been canceled—after they had already been sitting inside the aircraft for seven hours.