British Airways Flight Delayed After Passenger Defecates on Floor

Image: British Airways airline terminal. (photo via Heather Shimmin / iStock Editorial / Getty Images Plus)
Image: British Airways airline terminal. (photo via Heather Shimmin / iStock Editorial / Getty Images Plus)
Donald Wood
by Donald Wood
Last updated: 12:40 PM ET, Tue October 25, 2022

A passenger on a British Airways flight caused a three-hour delay after he defecated on the floor of the plane.

According to the New York Post, the unnamed passenger boarded British Airways Flight BA075 earlier this month at London's Heathrow Airport for a journey to Lagos, Nigeria, when the incident took place.

Before the Boeing 777-336 was able to depart, the man reportedly removed his pants and defecated on the floor before rubbing the feces into the carpet, curtain and seats. The airline called the incident a "hygienic biohazard."

"During boarding a passenger stripped from the waist down and defecated on the galley floor. He sat in it and rubbed it onto the galley floor and aisle carpets," a witness said. "He walked in it and started running up the aisle as far as Door 4. He smeared his arms to elbow in fecal matter, and door seats as he went."

Flight attendants called on emergency services and officers dispatched to the scene took the man into custody. The New York Post said it remains unclear when the passenger would be charged.

"The curtains and carpets were severely contaminated," British Airways officials said. "Very important that a hygienic biohazard and deep clean is carried out and properly supervised and signed off."

The flight was delayed three hours after the plane was taken out of service and cleaned.

"We apologized to our customers for the delay to their flight and arranged for an alternative aircraft to allow them to continue their journey," an airline spokesperson said.


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Donald Wood

Donald Wood

Managing Editor

Donald Wood is TravelPulse’s Managing Editor, bringing nearly 15 years of experience to the desk. He currently lives outside Philadelphia with his wife and two children.

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