Airline tackles toilet troubles

HONG KONG, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- Hong Kong airline Cathay Pacific said its Airbus planes are being fitted with new pipes following toilet blockage problems on three planes.

The airline said the A330 and A340 Airbuses have had toilet problems on three separate occasions during the past two weeks, including one incident involving a plan that had to be diverted, The Daily Telegraph reported Wednesday.

A spokeswoman said all 10 toilets on a flight from Saudi Arabia to Hong Kong broke down, leading the flight to divert to Mumbai with its 278 passengers.

"You would be amazed what we find in the pipes when we clean the system -- not just face towels but medicine bottles, socks, items of clothing and even children's stuffed toys," spokeswoman Carolyn Leung said.

Leung said engineers are deep cleaning the entire fleet of Airbus planes and outfitting them with new pipes.