While most passengers worry their luggage won’t make it to their destination, some travelers on a New York bound flight suffered a fate somehow even worse.
Virgin Atlantic passengers landing in John F. Kennedy International Airport earlier this week were shocked to be greeted with a rancid smell at the carousel before discovering that their suitcases were covered in a mysterious substance.
‘You arrive in New York on a Virgin Atlantic flight and they’ve emptied the plane toilet (poo and wee) on your suitcase,’ TikTok user Sosan shared in the now viral video.
Footage and pictures posted online showed a series of suitcases that had been flown from London Heathrow to JFK covered in strange light-brown splatters.
‘I literally went into shock,’ Sosan wrote in a comment on her video. ‘I couldn’t believe my eyes and nose.’ She said the airline didn’t make a formal announcement and claimed that there were ‘children with poo all over them.’
Another furious passenger unleashed a fiery rant on X, formerly Twitter, writing: ‘You are s**t! Literally!’
‘How are all these bags covered in human s**t! Floor staff saying they can’t provide wipes, new bags or hand sanitizer and that we have to “write an email to customer team.” All my clothes destroyed as I have a fabric bag,’ they raged in a post, along with pictures of their luggage.
Amid the uproar, Virgin Atlantic have been forced to issue a statement, telling DailyMail.com the substance on the bags was not human excrement and it did not come from the aircraft.
Virgin Atlantic passengers landing in John F. Kennedy International Airport earlier this week were shocked to be greeted with a rancid smell at the carousel before discovering that their suitcases were covered in a mysterious substance
In an email, the airline said the substance was grease from a broken pipe in the terminal.
‘We’re aware of a New York JFK system failure that affected the baggage of a small number of arriving customers on July 14,’ a spokesperson said. ‘We’re working closely with the team at JFK and local authorities to ensure the issue is resolved. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused to affected customers.’
A video of the affected bags swirling round the carousel has accumulated more than seven million views since it was first posted, with horrified users flocking to the comments.
‘Omg. Mental note to always shrink wrap my suitcases. Not very environmentally friendly I know I know. But I HARDLY ever fly and I’m not allowing this to happen to my luggage ever,’ a disgusted user wrote.
‘Sooooo the workers SAW that, and decided they should go ahead and PICK THEM UP & LOAD THEM on the cart, and then PICK THEM PICK & LOAD THEM on the conveyer belt????? Like nobody ever thinking something is not ok?????’ an incredulous user added.
Another added: ‘That’s considered biohazard waste and is to be handled probably. Call the board of health notify them and ask what else you should do. File a complaint with TSA. Don’t touch your bag. A major clean up is required including the carousel.’
Others were doubtful from the start that the mysterious substance was actually human waste.
‘This never happened, toilet waste is disposed via a secure waste pipe connected to a specialist truck, waste tank is flushed ready for next flight. Twenty years airport duties, seen it done hundreds of time,’ a user claimed.
Footage and pictures posted online showed a series of suitcases that had been flown from London Heathrow to JFK covered in strange light-brown splatters
Amid the uproar, Virgin Atlantic have been forced to issue a statement, telling DailyMail.com the substance on the bags was not human excrement and it did not come from the aircraft
A video of the affected bags swirling round the carousel has accumulated more than seven million views since it was first posted, with horrified users flocking to the comments
Someone else agreed, writing: ‘Don’t believe this at all. There was a major storm and flooding so it’s probably from that.’
Plane toilets are emptied at designated biohazard locations at airports. Once the plane has landed, ground crew members use specialized equipment to empty the tank at the airport’s service facility.
As per Flight Radar 24, the toilet waste is stored in a holding tank within the aircraft which is designed to be airtight and secure, and it remains sealed throughout the flight.
It’s not the first time fecal matter has disrupted a flight. Last year, a United Airlines flight traveling to San Francisco was forced to turn around in midair and return to Frankfurt after feces flowed from a broken toilet into the cabin filling it with a foul-smelling odor.
United Airlines flight 59, was one hour into its 11hr 30min journey to California when the captain of the Boeing 777-300ER decided the best course of action was to return back to Germany rather than continue to fly across the Atlantic.
FlightAware shows the plane circled for a short time over the North Sea to the east of England while the crew weighed up their options. Technicians were unable to find an immediate solution to the problem.
The smell permeated through the entire aircraft shortly after taking off. Passengers told the contents of the waste tank overflowed and spilled out into the cabin, which only served to worsen the situation.
‘On Friday, March 29, United Flight 59 returned to Frankfurt following a maintenance issue with one of the aircraft’s lavatories,’ a statement by United read.
‘The passengers were provided with hotel accommodations overnight in Frankfurt – and were rebooked on a different flight to San Francisco the next day’, the statement added.
