A Delta Air Lines flight en route from Paris to Seattle had to make an unscheduled landing in London after the crew encountered a mechanical problem with one of the aircraft’s lavatories, the airline confirmed.
On August 13, Delta Flight 81 departed from Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport, destined for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. However, a technical issue led the flight crew to reroute the aircraft to London Heathrow Airport.
The Airbus A330-900, at the time of the incident, was carrying 209 passengers along with 13 crew members, according to details released by Delta.
As the aircraft neared Heathrow, the crew declared an emergency with air traffic control due to the necessity of performing an overweight landing, the airline reported.
A Delta Air Lines plane is seen taxiing at London Heathrow Airport on October 7, 2016. Recently, Delta Flight 81 had to divert to Heathrow following a report from its crew about a mechanical issue involving an onboard lavatory. (Simon Dawson/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Despite the emergency declaration, the aircraft landed normally and safely at Heathrow.
Delta maintenance personnel then serviced the Airbus in London in an effort to address the lavatory-related mechanical issue.
“We apologize to our customers for their experience and delay on Delta Flight 81 from Paris-Charles de Gaulle to Seattle, which diverted to London Heathrow after the crew reported a mechanical issue involving an onboard lavatory,” a Delta spokesperson said in a statement to News Media.
“This is not the experience we strive to provide, and we’re focused on getting our customers to their destinations as quickly and safely as possible.”
A Delta Air Lines Airbus A330-900, registration N812NW, is pictured at Leonardo da Vinci – Fiumicino Airport in Italy July 8, 2025. Delta Flight 81 was operated by an Airbus A330-900 carrying 209 passengers and 13 crew members when it diverted to London. (Massimo Insabato/Archivio Massimo Insabato/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images)
Once maintenance work was completed, the aircraft departed Heathrow, but the disruption meant passengers still faced an additional detour before reaching their intended destination on the West Coast.
Instead of continuing directly from London to Seattle, the flight headed to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport because of the crew’s available duty time, according to Delta.
Passengers cleared U.S. Customs at JFK before continuing their journey to Seattle.
The unusual itinerary ultimately took the 209 passengers from Paris to London, then across the Atlantic to New York before they could continue on to Seattle.
Passengers prepare to board a flight at London Heathrow Airport June 27, 2026. Delta Flight 81 made an unscheduled stop at Heathrow while traveling from Paris to Seattle after its crew reported a mechanical issue. (Marc Fernandes/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Delta did not provide additional details about the specific mechanical problem involving the lavatory or what maintenance was required to address it.