Transatlantic flight diverted to Ireland for bathroom break

SHANNON, Ireland — Passengers on a flight bound for Paris from New York made an unscheduled stop in Ireland on Monday after a "serious problem" rendered the plane's bathrooms unusable, according to multiple reports.

Crew members working on the OpenSkies flight, a subsidiary of British Airways, requested a landing at Ireland's Shannon Airport to allow the plane's 172 passengers to use the bathroom, BBC News reported.

The pilot told air-traffic controllers that the Boeing 767 had a "serious problem" with its toilets and that the flight's passengers were likely to have an "urgent need for them to go to the toilets," the Irish Mirror reported.

Only 90 minutes remained of the journey after crossing the Atlantic and reaching Ireland, the Independent reported. However, the flight was delayed for two hours as engineers worked to repair the broken bathrooms.

In a statement released to the Independent, British Airways said it was "very sorry for any inconvenience the stoppage caused, but safety is our highest priority."

The plane continued its journey to Paris Orly Airport around 9:30 a.m. Monday.

Cox Media Group