In what could only be termed as one of the worst nightmares of air-travellers, the toilets on a Virgin Australia flight broke down mid-journey. With the lavatories malfunctioning, and half of the journey (from Bali to Brisbane) remaining, passengers were forced to urinate in bottles.
All Toilets Malfunction On Virgin Australia Bali-Brisbane Flight
As per a report by The Australian, Virgin Australia’s Bali-Brisbane flight, operating on a Boeing 737 MAX 8, faced a major toilet crisis mid-flight. Even before the flight departed from Bali, one of its rear lavatories was out of service due to maintenance issues. This meant passengers could only access the remaining two toilets during the six-hour journey from Bali to Australia.
But things became extremely dire when the other two toilets— one located in the front and the other at the rear— both malfunctioned. With the final three hours of the journey remaining, and a toilet crisis looming, passengers on the flight were put in a highly humiliating and distressing position.
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Passengers Pee In Bottles; Flight Reeks Of Urine Stench
The article by The Australian reveals that passengers were left with no choice but to urinate in bottles, putting themselves and their co-passengers in humiliating and uncomfortable situations. The three-hour journey was almost unbearable as the flight reeked of urine smell. Passengers described this arduous, unthinkable journey as “distressing”, “degrading” and “humiliating”.
A passenger revealed to The Australian that an elderly woman couldn’t hold on any longer to nature’s call. And she ended up wetting herself in public, leaving her feeling deeply humiliated. Every single toilet on the flight failed mid-journey, and the cabin crew informed the passengers that they had to relieve themselves in bottles or in the clogged toilets.
First Published: August 31, 2025 1:41 PM