Toilet Breakdown at 35,000 ft: Virgin Australia Flight Turns Chaotic
Virgin Australia’s Flight VA50 faced a toilet breakdown mid-air, forcing passengers to go nearly two hours without any working restrooms
On 28 August 2025, Virgin Australia’s Flight VA50 from Denpasar (Bali) to Brisbane faced a shocking sanitation failure on a Boeing 737 MAX 8. One toilet was already broken before takeoff, and mid-flight, the two remaining toilets also failed. This left passengers with no working restrooms for the final 1 hour 40 minutes of the six-hour journey.
Passengers described the flight as humiliating and stressful. Long queues formed earlier when only one toilet was available, with people waiting up to 40 minutes. Once all toilets failed, crew reportedly told passengers to urinate in bottles or “on top of whatever was already in the toilet.” This caused anger and distress. An elderly woman was unable to hold on, children cried, and some passengers said urine began seeping onto the floor as a strong smell spread in the cabin. A business-class passenger reported being offered a sink.
Photos and videos of overflowing toilets quickly circulated on social media, sparking worldwide disbelief and criticism. While many agreed the crew stayed calm, travellers questioned why the flight was not cancelled or diverted once problems were known. Reports suggested the decision was due to limited engineering support in Bali.
The Transport Workers’ Union condemned the incident as a “severe health hazard” and accused the airline of putting profit before safety. Virgin Australia apologised, offered flight credits, and said it was contacting passengers directly.
The incident has raised serious concerns about hygiene, safety, and maintenance, with social media calling it a “mile-high toilet nightmare.”
