Canadian passengers who were shown on video partying maskless on a charter flight to Mexico were initially stranded by Airlines who refused to fly them home and have now returned and faced legal consequences for their actions.
The individuals in question were seen drinking alcohol and vaping inside the airplane while they were on their way from Montreal to Cancun, Mexico a day before New Year's Eve. Footage of the rave-like party went viral on social media platforms. Photographs of the maskless travelers received widespread criticism because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Unruly Airline Passengers
After the discovery of their actions, the Canadian passengers were left stranded in Mexico after several Airlines denied them from flying back to Canada. The situation prompted the trip's organizer to negotiate with authorities.
The airline that flew the group to Mexico, Sunwing Airlines, immediately canceled the return flight, citing the group's disruptive behavior and refusal to accept the airline's stated terms and expectations for the flight back. Two other commercial airlines made the decision to deny access from the group that included more than two dozen passengers, The Washington Post reported.
The group of Canadian passengers was a coterie of social media influencers, reality television personalities, and others. The videos of the suspects also showed an instance where one of the members of the group, who had his mask hanging under his chin, used the intercom to tell the other passengers to sit down and then "to keep the energy up."
The same passenger welcomed the people on the airplane to the "111 Private Club!" which referred to an online group that was described as "invitation only." The club was founded by James William Awad, a musician and self-described entrepreneur who was the organizer of the trip to Mexico.
Legal Consequences
Out of the 130 passengers on the flight, about 27 were already back in Canada, said the country's health minister, Jean-Yves Duclos on Friday in an interview with reporters. The official said that the group was stopped and interrogated at the border, adding they were quickly tested for the coronavirus and questioned about their proof of vaccination and quarantine plans, the New York Times reported.
Additionally, Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the group's unruly behavior a "slap in the face" to citizens who were compliant with proper social distancing measures as well as airline workers. Speaking in the French language, Trudeau called the groups "idiots" and "barbarians."
Duclos was supported by the Quebec police department in investigating the travelers that were able to come home to Canada. Transport Canada was also investigating the group that could face fines of up to C$5,000 for every offense. A 19-year-old student from Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, Rebecca St Pierre, said that was able to win the trip to Mexico on Instagram.
She added that she tested positive for the coronavirus on Wednesday and was unsure of how to pay for her hotel stay in the region. She estimated that about 30 people from the plane had tested positive for the infection, BBC reported.
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