Canada – Federal Transport Minister Omar Alghabra has asked Transport Canada to investigate reports of “unacceptable” behaviour on a recent Sunwing Airlines flight from Montreal to Cancun, Mexico.
Videos of the Dec. 30 flight shared on social media appear to show passengers not wearing masks as they gather in close proximity, singing and dancing in the aisle and on seats.
In one video, a large bottle of vodka appears to be passed among passengers, and later a woman appears to be smoking an electronic cigarette on the plane.
According to reports, the plane had been chartered and some of the passengers were cast members from Quebec reality television shows.
“I have asked Transport Canada to investigate the matter,” Alghabra wrote in a post on Twitter. “We must take the risks of COVID seriously!”
Later Tuesday, Alghabra, Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos and Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino issued a joint statement which said all three ministers have directed their departments to investigate.
The statement said Transport Canada has contacted the airline, and says passengers who violated the department’s regulations could face fines of up to $5,000 per offence.
Rena Kisfalvi, president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees local that represents about 1,000 Sunwing flight attendants, also called the passengers’ behaviour “unacceptable” and expressed sympathy for the crew on the Cancun flight.
“There’s a point where if you lose the control, you can’t get it back sometimes,” she said in a phone interview.
Compliance with mask rules has been a “massive issue” over the past year that has “caused a tremendous amount of aggressive behaviour” from passengers toward cabin crews, she said.
Sunwing said in an emailed statement that passenger behaviour on the private charter flight “was unruly and contravened several Canadian Aviation Regulations as well as public health regulations.” It said its security department investigated, and the company reported the incident to Transport Canada.
The airline said it provided the tour group leader conditions to ensure the safety of passengers and crew on the return flight to Montreal, scheduled for Wednesday.
The statement from Alghabra, Duclos and Mendicino noted that the Public Health Agency of Canada and partners coordinate the processing of travellers returning to Canada, and that travellers suspected of non-compliance are referred to PHAC.
It stated that questionable or fraudulent documents will be retained, and warned that giving false information to a Canadian government official and could result in fines of up to $750,000, six months in jail, or both.
If endangering the lives of others and causing harm, the statement warns a traveller could be subject to up to three years in prison and/or up to $1 million in fines.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 4, 2022.
