The video of travellers partying like its 1999 on a Sunwing flight to Mexico has gone viral, and the Prime Minister of Canada is not amused. The party folks likely aren’t very happy, either, as it appears they’re having trouble getting home.
Video footage of a flight from Montreal to Mexico on Dec. 30 started making the rounds a day or so ago. The footage shows passengers dancing in the aisles without masks. Some appear to be vaping, and one passenger seems to have a bottle of Grey Goose vodka.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau strongly condemned the passengers today (Wednesday, Jan. 5), saying they’ll be investigated by government authorities and that their behaviour is a “slap in the face” to law-abiding Canadians. He also called the offending passengers “idiots.”
Air Transat said on Twitter today that the “disruptive passengers” from the Sunwing flight are trying to return home on Air Transat. Officials said they’ll be denied boarding based on the company’s obligation to ensure passenger and crew safety, CP 24 reports.
In a statement to CTV News, Air Canada said, “With the information we currently have regarding the events that took place on the Sunwing flight, and to the extent that we can identify the passengers who were part of the group, Air Canada is denying boarding to ensure the safety of other passengers and its crew.”
The group was slated to fly home to Canada from Cancun today, but Sunwing cancelled the flight, stating that passengers had violated public health rules and Canadian aviation regulations.
CTV News says some of the influencers on the flight are claiming innocence.
“We don’t want to be bashed for things that we didn’t do,” said Isabelle Labrecque, a Quebec reality TV personality, in an Instagram live video from Mexico alongside two fellow TV stars.
“We were sleeping,” she said.
Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra, Minister of Health Jean-Yves Duclos and Minister of Public Safety Marco Mendicino, issued the following statement today:
“The health and safety of on-board personnel as well as passengers during a flight is a top priority. We are aware of unacceptable behavior and cases of non-compliance with mask wearing and other air safety requirements that occurred on a privately chartered flight from Montréal to Cancun on December 30, 2021.
“Our Government takes reported incidents such as these very seriously. We have directed our respective departmental officials to immediately launch an investigation into these allegations of non-compliance with COVID-19 and air safety rules and regulations.
“Transport Canada has been in contact with the airline concerning this flight. Should the department determine that non-compliance with Transport Canada regulations and requirements has occurred, fines of up to $5,000 per offence could be issued to passengers.
“The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and key partners coordinate the processing of travellers returning to Canada. Travellers suspected of non-compliance are referred to PHAC. Any questionable or fraudulent documents will be retained.
“Providing false information to a Government of Canada official upon entry to Canada is a serious offence and may result in penalties and/or criminal charges. If found guilty under a summary conviction, a traveller could face fines of up to $750,000, six months in jail, or both. When endangering the lives of others and causing harm, a traveller could be subject to up to three years in prison and/or up to $1 million in fines.
