TOKYO: A Japan Airlines plane and an All Nippon Airways plane both had toilet-drainage problems that caused them to return to their departure airports on Tuesday (Dec 10).
Both planes are Boeing 787-9s, but they were said to have experienced no common glitches.
JAL Flight 773 was carrying 142 passengers and crew, and departed Narita Airport on Dec 10 bound for Melbourne.
Its toilet malfunction occurred at around 6.35pm when it was flying about 190km south-southeast of Narita, according to the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry.
The aircraft turned around and landed back at Narita at 9.08pm. Flight 773 later departed on a different aircraft.
ANA Flight 208 from Milan to Haneda Airport likewise experienced a toilet problem above Turkey at around 9.20pm on Dec 10, causing it to turn back and land in Milan at 1.48am on Dec 11.
The airplane was carrying 178 passengers and crew. ANA ultimately cancelled the flight. - The Yomiuri Shimbun/ANN