American Airlines Flight Diverted: 6 of 8 Toilets Broke

American Airlines flight diverted to New York after six of its eight toilets stopped working. Plus: Riyadh's airport is closed after new attacks, Dammam's airport was hit for the first time, easyJet crews in Italy strike this Friday, and a D-O-T rule changes how delays are blamed starting Oct. 19.

- American Airlines Flight 37 (Madrid to Dallas-Fort Worth, Boeing 777) diverted to JFK on Oct. 6 with 287 people aboard and only two working lavatories. The crew declared "pan-pan"; the FAA cited an "inadequate number of operational lavatories." The plane flew on to Dallas after about three and a half hours.

- Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport was targeted again on Oct. 11, a day after a deadly strike; Dammam's King Fahd International was also targeted. As of Monday, Oct. 12, GACA has extended Riyadh's suspension with no reopening date given, and more than 500 Riyadh flights were cancelled Monday. Emirates, Etihad and flydubai have cancelled Saudi flights; some carriers have suspended Riyadh for longer. Figures are changing fast; check your airline.

- easyJet Italy: a 24-hour national strike by flight crews on Friday, Oct. 16 (00:00–23:59). Protected windows are 07:00–10:00 and 18:00–21:00, but only flights on ENAC's guaranteed list are assured.

- DOT: from Oct. 19, 2026, ten event types (including non-deferrable unscheduled maintenance, medical emergencies and unruly-passenger removals) can no longer be reported as "Air Carrier" delays. Refunds for cancelled or significantly changed flights are unchanged.

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Chapters

1. 0:00 American's toilet divert
2. 1:10 Riyadh & Dammam airports
3. 2:06 easyJet Italy strike, Friday
4. 2:58 The D-O-T delay rule, Oct. 19
5. 3:59 Your take