PASSENGERS TOLD TO PEE IN BOTTLES DURING MIDAIR EMERGENCY

New York Post

 

Flight from Hell: Passengers told to pee in bottles during travel nightmare

By News.com.au

Published Aug. 29, 2025, 10:29 a.m. ET

 

Originally Published by: News.com.au

 

Virgin is grappling with the fallout of a disaster on board a flight from Bali to Brisbane, after all toilets malfunctioned mid-air and passengers were forced to improvise in humiliating conditions.

 

The ordeal unfolded on Thursday afternoon when Virgin flight VA50 departed Denpasar.

 

The rear lavatory was already out of service, but the six-hour Boeing 737 MAX 8 service was not delayed or cancelled due to limited engineering support in Bali.

 

Midway through the journey, the situation worsened when the remaining two toilets failed completely.

 

“One elderly woman was unable to hold on and suffered the humiliation of wetting herself in public,” a passenger told The Australian.

 

“Midway through the flight, every toilet failed. For the remaining three hours, the cabin crew informed us we would need to relieve ourselves in bottles or ‘on top of whatever was already in the toilet’.”

 

According to the passenger, a foul smell filled the air as urine seeped onto the cabin floor.

 

Virgin Australia confirmed the incident, apologizing to those affected.

 

“A Virgin Australia flight from Denpasar to Brisbane on Thursday evening experienced an issue during the flight which affected the serviceability of the lavatories,” the airline said in a statement.

 

“We sincerely apologize to our guests and thank our crew for managing a challenging situation on board.”

 

The airline said customers would be credited for the flight and contacted directly with updates.

 

The Transport Workers Union (TWU) said it had reached out to Virgin following the “distressing event, which constitutes a severe hazard both for crew and passengers”.

 

“Across the board, aviation workers are dealing with increasing risks to their health and safety at work, with an industry-wide trend towards profits over performance,” TWU national assistant secretary Emily McMillan said.

 

“We need to see decisions made in the interest of public and workers, not just prioritize getting planes out to maximise profits at the expense of the community.”