The Quebec influencers party on a Sunwing plane goes around the world
Influencers party on a plane without following the rules of aviation or health measures.
Quebec goes around the world and it's not for the right reasons. The saga of influencers having an impromptu party on a mid-air plane has captured the attention of international media from the US to the UK.
If the influencers who went to party in Mexico thought they would be forgotten when they came back, it's a failure. In addition to appearing in Le Journal de Montréal and on television, they are now in the headlines of the Daily Mail in London and the New York Post.
The two media explain how Transport Canada came to open an investigation, at the request of the Canadian Minister of Transport, into what happened during this Montreal-Cancun flight on December 30.
The hundred of young people who participated in the illegal festivities are now liable to fines and bans by air carriers. & nbsp;
They may even have difficulty returning home. After seeing their return flight with Sunwing canceled, they attempted to purchase a second plane ticket. However, the airline Air Transat has just announced that it will refuse their boarding.
Feedback on the saga
It all started when unruly passengers, including several popular social media influencers, filmed themselves dancing while standing without masks, vaping, drinking alcohol or otherwise partying > aboard Sunwing & rsquo; charter aircraft. We see in particular the former candidate of the reality show Double Occupation Karl Sabourin. & Nbsp;
The images posted on Instagram showing them breaking numerous aviation rules were then relayed by the Journal of Montreal in the morning of January 4. & Nbsp;
Questioned by the Journal , the airline Sunwing then indicates to have informed the competent authorities of the matter and that an investigation into the incident is in progress. & nbsp;
During the day of Tuesday, Sunwing finally decides to cancel the flight that was supposed to bring hundreds of Quebecers back to Montreal. & nbsp;
In the evening, the Minister of Transport, Omar Alghabra, the Minister of Health, Jean-Yves Duclos, and the Minister of Public Security, Marco Mendicino, announce by way of a press release that they are opening an investigation into the allegations of non- compliance with rules and regulations regarding COVID-19 and aviation safety.
If the Ministry determines that a non-compliance with regulations and requirements has occurred, passengers could be fined up to $ 5,000 per violation.
Travelers suspected of breaking the rules will be referred to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). If one of the travelers ends up with questionable or fraudulent documents, such as false vaccine proof, they can be fined up to $ 750,000, with a jail term of 6 months, or both. & nbsp;
This noon, Air Transat airline said on Twitter that it will deny boarding to those affected. & nbsp;
The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, also put his two cents, calling the recalcitrant a “gang of no intention.”
Several rules broken
In front of the images, the director of the Observatory of Aeronautics and Civil Aviation, Mehran Ebrahimi, remained “stunned”. & Nbsp;
According to him, there is no doubt that the pilot of the plane should have hijacked the craft, considering the party current influencers. “As soon as the pilot, for one reason or another, thinks that the situation could pose a danger to the plane, the personnel and the passengers, he has to hijack the plane,” he said. & Nbsp ;
The expert also points out that planes have already landed urgently at a diversion airport for much less than that. & nbsp;
In addition to the non-compliance health measures in force, the flight passengers violated many international aviation rules, explains Mehran Ebrahimi.
In fact, it is strictly forbidden to smoke and consume your own alcohol on board an aircraft. “Why are the personnel on the plane distributing the drinks? This is to be able to control the flow of alcohol. Do people know that when they smoke on an airplane they can operate the smoke detectors? And that’s a pilots’s worst nightmare, because you don’t know if there is a fire in the baggage compartment, ”Ebrahimi continued.
The director of the Observatory for Aeronautics and Civil Aviation believes responsibility for the incident rests with aircraft personnel and the airline. “Did Sunwing who chartered this plane [to the tour operators] train them and advise them of the rules to be followed on board?” Just because it's a chartered plane doesn't mean they don't have to follow the rules, ”he emphasizes.
After declaring that he had followed all of the instructions given by Sunwing during the flight, the getaway organizer, James William Awad, tweeted Wednesday that he was taking the matter very seriously.
“A simple party in a plane made all this buzz. I'm going to take a moment to sit down and think about everything. Mainly how I can do it better next time. Give me a moment to better understand the situation, “he wrote. & Nbsp;
The artist, also known as the Senior stage name, has also indicated that he will post an official statement on Twitter tomorrow at 11:15 am.
