Believe it or not, it was not until the 1930's that closed lavatories debuted on passenger aircraft. They form an important part of the passenger experience and a severe malfunctioning can be a reason behind the aircraft being on ground longer than you want.

Just ask Air India about their recent incident.

This episode of Plain and Simple goes beyond the call button with aerospace engineer Faiqa Anbreen from Safran, revealing the hidden engineering marvels and design challenges behind those confined spaces in the sky.

We dive deep into design decision making, development of monuments and learn some interesting observations for the next flight.

Get your answers to questions like:

• why the taps are so… temperamental? 🤔 Or where all the waste actually goes? 🤫
• Faiqa describes her experience working on the A380 stairways to the vacuum generators on the B787.
• We go deeper into some of the design and safety considerations taken during lavatory design.

• Faiqa discusses everything from crashworthiness and vacuum waste systems to the delicate balance between standardisation and customisation for airlines.
• Some surprising features inside lavatories and other storage units across an aircraft
• You might be shocked to learn that what you flush (or shouldn't flush!) can even ground a plane! 😱

Plus, hear about Faiqa's favourite aircraft (the mighty A380!) and her best (and worst?) lavatory experiences.

Prepare to never look at an aeroplane toilet the same way again!

You can learn more about Faiqa here.

For any feedback, please write to us at planesimplepodcast@gmail.com