Toilet was just 5 metres away, but passenger allegedly soils plane seat, leaving cabin in stink for 40 minutes
A flight from Kota Kinabalu to Shanghai reportedly turned into an unpleasant ordeal for passengers after someone allegedly defecated around their seat despite a toilet being only about 5 metres away.
The incident reportedly happened aboard AirAsia flight AK1516 travelling from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, to Shanghai Pudong. According to Chinese media reports, the incident took place during a late-night flight on Aug 18, when many passengers were asleep.
Passengers were reportedly jolted awake at around 2am when a powerful foul smell suddenly spread through the aircraft cabin. What initially appeared to be an unexplained odour soon became much clearer as passengers began searching for its source.
Passengers discover faeces around seat
One passenger reportedly noticed a woman travelling with two children rushing towards the toilet while carrying a bag. Shortly afterwards, the unpleasant smell began spreading through the surrounding area.
As the odour became increasingly difficult to tolerate, passengers investigated and reportedly discovered a large amount of faeces on the carpet and around a passenger seat.
They subsequently realised that someone had apparently relieved themselves directly at their seat rather than using the aircraft toilet.
The incident left nearby passengers understandably shocked, particularly because the toilet was reportedly only around 5 metres from where the mess was discovered.
The situation also quickly became a problem for passengers throughout the cabin as the smell travelled through the aircraft.
Cabin crew attempt to deal with the mess
Cabin crew members reportedly attempted to clean the affected area using tissues before spraying perfume in an effort to cover the smell.
However, with faecal matter reportedly remaining in the carpet and around the seat, the attempt to mask the odour was seemingly ineffective.
The situation became even more uncomfortable towards the end of the flight. According to passengers, the aircraft’s air-conditioning was switched off as it prepared to land, leaving the foul smell lingering inside the cabin.
One passenger claimed that people throughout the aircraft were forced to endure the unpleasant odour for around 40 minutes.
The incident was subsequently shared online, prompting a wave of reactions from people who expressed disbelief that such an incident could happen during a commercial flight.
Passenger contacts AirAsia over incident
A passenger reportedly contacted AirAsia about what happened but said they had yet to receive a response at the time of reporting.
The incident has also prompted online discussion about who should be responsible for the resulting cleaning and potential aircraft sanitation costs.
Some argued that the passenger responsible should be made to cover the expenses if the allegations are confirmed. Others focused their sympathy on the cabin crew, who were left to deal with an unexpected and highly unpleasant cleaning situation while continuing to operate the flight.
The reported incident has not been independently verified, and details about the identity of the passenger involved remain unclear. AirAsia’s response, if any, could provide further information about what happened and how the airline handled the situation.