Earlier this week, reports emerged regarding the behavior of passengers onboard a Sunwing flight from Montréal last month. The charter was carrying influencers to the Mexican resort city, but made the headlines for the guests' lack of mask compliance and excessive alcohol consumption. They will now be the subject of investigations back in Canada.
The story so far
The story of the disruptive Mexico-bound influencers on the now infamous Sunwing Airlines charter is one that Simple Flying has been following for much of this week. Reports emerged earlier this month that the flight in question was a charter arranged by James William Awad, who booked it as part of an event run by his '111 Private Club' brand.
However, the flight down to Mexico thrust the group into the public eye for all the wrong reasons. Members of the group are said to have disobeyed mask policy, brought their own alcohol onboard, used e-cigarettes, and even commanded the PA system.
The chaos was likened on social media to a nightclub. It even forced the cabin crew to retreat to the aircraft's rear galley. After reports emerged, Sunwing opted to cancel the group's return flight, which was set to depart on December 5th. The Canadian low-cost carrier did so on the grounds that "non-compliance would be likely" based on the outbound flight.
Starting to return home
Following Sunwing's refusal to transport the influencers back home, other Canadian airlines followed suit. These included Air Transat and Air Canada, with the latter denying boarding to 15 passengers on Wednesday. A further four were refused on Thursday. As we come towards the end of the week, the culprits have now begun to be able to return to Canada.
The Globe and Mail reported yesterday that 27 of the influencers had re-entered the country, or just over 20% of the 130 that were onboard the original flight. However, their return hasn't gone unnoticed by the authorities, who questioned them at the Canadian border. The interrogations concerned their compliance with testing and quarantine regulations.
A wider investigation may also render some of the group liable to fines. Under Transport Canada's Aeronautics Act, unruly or dangerous behavior onboard an aircraft can bear a CAD$100,000 ($79,100) penalty, or a five-year prison sentence. A CAD$5,000 ($3,950) fine may also be payable with regards to any potential breaches of COVID-19 regulations.
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Multiple positive COVID tests
With 27 of the flight's passengers having been able to come home as of yesterday, this leaves more than 100 still awaiting their return. Of these, the BBC reports that an estimated 30 have become stranded in Cancun due to testing positive for coronavirus. Photos and videos of the flight showed that social distancing and mask-wearing were minimal.
As such, it is easy to see how the virus could have spread. According to the BBC, a passenger told The Canadian Press that some of the influencers had attempted to avoid receiving positive test results by lining their noses with vaseline. The incident as a whole will certainly prompt carriers to think closely about taking such bookings in the future.
What do you make of the situation involving Sunwing and the misbehaving influencers? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.