Another Restroom Issue: Paris-to-Washington U.S. Flight Turns Back After One Hour in the Air

The photo of a United Airlines aircraft is unrelated to the article content. United Airlines

On September 30 (local time), Business Insider in the United States reported that a United Airlines passenger plane bound for Washington, D.C. from Paris turned back just one hour after takeoff due to a restroom issue.

According to the outlet, on Sunday, United Airlines Flight 331 took off from Paris at around 5 p.m. local time and was scheduled to arrive in Washington, D.C. about eight hours later. However, just over an hour after takeoff, the Boeing 767 changed course and began to return. Based on an analysis by FlightRadar24, the aircraft reversed direction over the sea between Scotland and Ireland and headed back to France, landing at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport approximately two hours and 30 minutes after takeoff. A United Airlines spokesperson told the media, "The aircraft returned to resolve a restroom issue," adding, "The plane landed safely and passengers were accommodated on the next available flight."

According to FlightRadar24, the same Boeing 767 departed Paris again 25 hours later and arrived at Washington Dulles International Airport just before 9 p.m. local time on Monday. This is not the first time such an incident has occurred. In March 2024, an Air India passenger plane returned to Chicago after a nine-hour flight due to a restroom malfunction. An investigation revealed that the restroom pipes had been clogged with plastic bags, rags, and clothing. In April 2024, another United Airlines transatlantic flight was forced to return to its origin after restrooms overflowed while en route from Frankfurt, Germany, to San Francisco, turning around over the North Sea. Just a month earlier, a KLM Boeing 787 flight faced disruptions when eight out of nine restrooms on board malfunctioned.

The outlet explained, "Passenger planes are subject to minimum restroom requirements based on the number of passengers, so malfunctions can restrict operations." It added, "In particular, returning to the departure airport is more advantageous for airlines when it comes to arranging passenger transfers or conducting aircraft maintenance, as hub airports that are frequently used tend to have better facilities for such situations."