Sunwing cancels return trip to Quebec following maskless influencer plane party; potential fines of up to $5,000
Sunwing Airlines has cancelled the return flight for a group of Quebecers who partied maskless on a chartered flight from Montreal to Cancun on Dec. 30.
In a series of now-deleted videos on social media obtained by the Journal de Montreal, passengers were seen drinking alcohol, vaping, and partying in close proximity.
Passengers included Quebec social media influencers and reality TV stars.
In order to board the return flight, the tour group was presented with terms and conditions “to ensure the safety of the crew and passengers,” according to the airline.
“Unfortunately, the group did not accept all of the terms,” reads a statement. “As a result […] we have made the decision to cancel the return flight.”
But James William Awad, who organized the chartered flight, told CTV News the return trip was “cancelled for unknown reasons.”
“I agreed to all their conditions. But I wanted to make sure my group eats, so I told them I want food [on] the plane.”
“It’s a five-hour flight, they don’t want to feed my group. It poses no concerns for flight safety,” he argued.
Awad also claimed that the airline “wanted us to party.”
“The reality is that Sunwing gave alcohol to all my group during the whole flight,” he said. “Selling that alcohol for $5 a bottle.”
He also said that the group would have stopped vaping if they were asked to, but weren’t.
According to the Sunwing website, “electronic cigarettes (E-cigarettes or personal vaporizers) must be packed in your carry-on baggage and cannot be used onboard.” However, it’s unclear whether this rule applies to Sunwing’s chartered flights as well; Sunwing did not provide an answer when asked.
A passenger is shown holding empty mini-bottles of liquor, purchased during the flight.
A passenger on the Sunwing flight is shown holding empty mini-bottles of liquor, purchased during the flight.
INVESTIGATIONS
Transport Canada announced it would launch an investigation into the flight after Canada’s transport minister spoke out on Twitter.
“I am aware of the reports of unacceptable behaviour on a Sunwing flight,” Omar Alghabra tweeted. “I have asked Transport Canada to investigate the matter.”
In a statement, Transport Canada said passengers could face fines of up to $5,000 per offence, “should the department determine that non-compliance with Transport Canada regulations and requirements has occurred.”
Sunwing said it will support the Transport Canada investigation, and that an internal investigation by the airline’s security department has already been conducted.
Calling the behaviour of the passengers “unruly,” Sunwing said it “contravened several Canadian Aviation Regulations as well as public health regulations.”
The airline said it also sent an “initial notification” to Transport Canada.
SAFETY CONCERNS
Dominic Daoust is a commercial pilot. He said he was taken aback by what happened on the Sunwing flight.
“I saw the video everybody saw and, you know, we’re used to hearing stories about disruptive passengers once in a while. It happens and the flight attendants are trained to deal with it,” said Daoust. “But this, I’ve never seen a party that size in the back.”
Daoust said it’s possible that the rules were relaxed given that it was a chartered flight.
“My first thought goes to the flight attendants that had to deal with those guys. At some point, I understand that they just have to give up,” he said, adding that since the passengers were all in one group, “they’re not bothering anybody else.”
“There’s not a baby that’s trying to sleep,” he said.
But Daoust stressed that serious safety issues can arise if things get too out of control.
“If there’s an alarm that’s triggered, and the flight attendant can’t immediately isolate the source, then it becomes a problem, because now the pilot has to worry about, ‘is this somebody vaping or is there something else going on?’” he explained.
“Whatever happens in the cabin, it can’t affect the work of the flight attendants, because it’s not just about service. It’s also [the pilot’s] eyes and ears in the back if something were to happen.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6972157.1721587842!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
BREAKING NEWS Biden drops out of 2024 race, endorses Harris to be Democratic nominee
U.S. President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 race for the White House on Sunday, ending his bid for re-election after a disastrous debate with Donald Trump that raised doubts about the incumbent's fitness for office with the election just four months away. It was a late-season campaign thunderstrike unlike any in American history.
What happens next: Joe Biden wants to pass the baton to Kamala Harris. Here's how that might work
With U.S. President Joe Biden ending his re-election bid and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris, Democrats now must navigate a shift that is unprecedented this late in an election year.
Joe Biden: Trudeau reacts to news Biden won’t run for re-election
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded to the news that U.S. President Joe Biden won’t run for re-election Sunday, calling Biden a 'true friend.'
Harris, endorsed by Biden, could become first woman, second Black person to be U.S. president
Kamala Harris could become the first Black woman to head a major U.S. party presidential ticket after U.S. President Joe Biden abruptly ended his re-election bid and endorsed her.
Read Biden's full text announcing the end to his re-election campaign
U.S. President Joe Biden ended his re-election campaign on Sunday after fellow Democrats lost faith in his mental acuity and ability to beat Donald Trump. He announced his decision in a letter posted on social media. Read the full text.
BREAKING LCBO workers ratify tentative agreement, strike ends Monday
The union representing 10,000 workers at the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) has ratified a tentative agreement, which will officially end its two-week strike at 12:01 a.m. Monday.
Joy in Newfoundland after 'Lucky 7' fishers survive harrowing days lost at sea
There was a powerful word being repeated in the joyful Newfoundland community of New-Wes-Valley on Sunday: 'Miracle.'
A 12-year-old girl is accused of smothering her younger cousin over an iPhone
A 12-year-old girl in Tennessee has been charged with murder, accused of smothering her eight-year-old cousin as the younger girl slept. A relative said they had been arguing over an iPhone.
Trudeau and family head to British Columbia for vacation in unnamed location
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will head to British Columbia on Sunday, where he will be on vacation with his family until Aug. 1.