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 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
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.