Amrita Jaurre was on an eight-hour Jet Airways flight from Delhi to London Heathrow when waste from the aircraft’s toilet began seeping into the cabin.
The 27-year-old office worker from London complained to a flight attendant after a pungent smell began to spread through the plane.
But she claims that despite the airline worker “gagging” at the toilet’s smell when he went to check on it, he merely responded by putting down newspaper and spraying air freshener.
She took pictures of the shocking incident on February 15, which show where the cabin’s carpet became soaked by foul-smelling water.
She is now seeking monetary compensation from the airline after they responded to her subsequent complaints with the offer of airmiles.
She told the Standard:
“It was disgusting. The liquid had a urine-like smell. The whole situation was just awful – the way they dealt with it from beginning to end. I am a frequent flier and I have flown with budget airlines and had a better experience.”
Describing the moment she first realised the plane had flooded, she said:
“I sat down and my feet got damp. I thought maybe someone had spilled something.
“I noticed this massive wet patch was forming. Then the other passengers noticed it. We all complained to the flight attendant who did not really pay much attention – it took a couple of complaints before he had a look.
“He had obviously smelled something that was quite grim because he was suddenly gagging. The wet patch was getting bigger and bigger. His way of dealing with it was putting down newspapers, but it was really starting to smell.”
A spokesman for the airline insisted the water was “only from the sink” as human waste was “carried by a separate system”.
He said the leak was caused by “reverse drainage from the sinks”.
He said:
“Jet Airways regrets any inconvenience caused to guests on board flight 9W121 DEL – LHR dt.,Feb 15, 2015, on account of reverse drainage from the sinks on board the aircraft.
“As per our investigation, the overflow was only of water from the sink. All human waste is carried by separate system and lines which functioned normally during the flight.
The news comes days after reports that a British Airways plane was forced to turn back to Heathrow because of a “smelly poo” in one of the aircraft’s toilets and BA rescheduled the flight for the following day.
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