Passengers landing at New York’s JFK Airport courtesy of a Virgin Atlantic flight were stunned this week when their suitcases arrived at baggage claim covered in what many claimed smelled — and looked — like human waste.
The airline has now issues a response after videos and photos quickly circulated on social media.
‘I literally went into shock’
The incident unfolded on July 14, when passengers arriving from London Heathrow to John F. Kennedy International Airport noticed a rancid smell coming from the baggage carousel, the Daily Mail reports.
As the suitcases began to appear, a brownish sludge was visibly smeared across several pieces of luggage. “You arrive in New York on a Virgin Atlantic flight and they’ve emptied the plane toilet (poo and wee) on your suitcase,” TikTok user Sosan claimed in a now-deleted video, according to the Mail Online.
“I literally went into shock. I couldn’t believe my eyes and nose,” she added in a comment under the post.
Photos and videos posted online showed multiple bags spattered in what appeared to be a light-brown substance. Sosan alleged the airline failed to make a formal announcement and claimed “there were children with poo all over them.”
‘You are s**t! Literally!’
Another frustrated traveler took to X, formerly Twitter, to vent about the mess. “@VirginAtlantic you are s**t! literally!” the user wrote. “How are all these bags covered in human s**t! Floor staff saying they can’t provide wipes, new bags or hand sanitizer and that we have to ‘write an email to customer team.’
"All my clothes destroyed as I have a fabric bag.”
The tweet was accompanied by images of soiled luggage and tagged with "#jfkairport".
"Really bad customer service too, nobody knows what’s going on. One great guy has taken initiative and is spraying peoples bags. He obviously doesn’t get paid enough for this," the X user added in a follow-up tweet.
Virgin Atlantic responds
In response to the growing uproar, Virgin Atlantic told Mail Online that the cause was not human waste, nor did the substance originate from the aircraft.
“We’re aware of a New York JFK system failure that affected the baggage of a small number of arriving customers on July 14,” a spokesperson said. “We’re working closely with the team at JFK and local authorities to ensure the issue is resolved. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused to affected customers.”
They clarified that the brown sludge was grease from a broken pipe in the terminal.
VT has reached out to Virgin Atlantic for further comment.
Social media reaction: from outrage to disbelief
The video of the incident has drawn more than seven million views, with commenters alternating between horror and skepticism.
“Omg. Mental note to always shrink wrap my suitcases,” one person wrote. “Not very environmentally friendly I know I know. But I HARDLY ever fly and I’m not allowing this to happen to my luggage ever.”
“Sooooo the workers SAW that, and decided they should go ahead and PICK THEM UP & LOAD THEM on the cart, and then PICK THEM PICK & LOAD THEM on the conveyer belt?????” another asked incredulously.
Some questioned whether it was even possible for aircraft toilets to leak like that. “This never happened,” one user commented. “Toilet waste is disposed via a secure waste pipe connected to a specialist truck. Waste tank is flushed ready for next flight. Twenty years airport duties, seen it done hundreds of times.”
Other users expressed concern about safety and hygiene. “That’s considered biohazard waste and is to be handled properly,” one warned. “Call the board of health, notify them and ask what else you should do. File a complaint with TSA. Don’t touch your bag. A major clean up is required including the carousel.”
Another speculated the sludge came from storm-related flooding, not human waste: “Don’t believe this at all. There was a major storm and flooding so it’s probably from that.”
Not the first ‘poo panic’ on a plane
While Virgin Atlantic insists this case did not involve human waste, the incident echoes another high-profile mid-air mishap.
In 2024, a United Airlines flight from Frankfurt to San Francisco was forced to turn around mid-flight after feces from a broken toilet spilled into the cabin. “On Friday, March 29, United Flight 59 returned to Frankfurt following a maintenance issue with one of the aircraft's lavatories,” the airline said at the time. Passengers were rebooked on another flight the next day.