Omar Alghabra’s office reports that 42 tickets were issued, of which 18 were for non-compliance with vaccination requirements and 24 for breaches of coverage rules.
Videos of the charter flight from Montreal to Cancun have been shared on social media and show unaccompanied passengers singing and dancing in the aisles and seats, sipping a drink, taking selfies and steaming.
The minister’s office says Transport Canada’s investigation into the flight is ongoing and further sanctions may be imposed.
Sunwing Airlines canceled the group’s return flight after the videos went viral. Air Canada and Air Transat also refused to book the 154 passengers on the return flight to Canada.
At the time, Prime Minister Justin Trindade described passengers – a group that included Quebec’s social media influencers and television reality personalities – as barbarians and “idiots”.
This Canadian Press report was first published on April 28, 2022.
