An Air Canada flight from Morocco to Montreal was abruptly canceled after a heated altercation erupted between a flight attendant and a passenger.
According to Daily Mail, a request for a blanket by a female passenger spiraled into a situation leading to the cancellation of Air Canada flight AC73.
The incident started when the passenger requested a blanket. The flight attendant responded aggressively, reportedly attempting to remove the passenger, and threatened to call the police.
In response to the flight attendant's threats, other passengers rallied in support of the passenger. They even threatened to deplane should the situation escalate further.
Footage from the incident quickly went viral. The video depicted the flight attendant shouting at the passenger and declaring, "You will behave or we will get off!"
Further escalating the situation, the flight attendant remarked, "I don't want no bullying against my crew," and tried to assert control over the aircraft.
The altercation left Air Canada with no choice but to cancel the flight. Subsequently, the airline announced that the flight would be rescheduled to depart from Casablanca to Montreal on the following Saturday with a different crew.
A spokesperson for Air Canada communicated that the company is taking the incident very seriously and thoroughly reviewing the matter. The spokesperson also extended an apology to the affected passengers.
"We are taking this incident very seriously. It is under review, and we will take appropriate action," the spokesperson stated. "We apologize to our customers and deeply regret that their experience today fell far short of what they have come to expect when flying with Air Canada."
Despite the attention the incident has garnered, details leading up to the altercation remain unclear, as does the identity of the female passenger involved. The viral footage shows only the heated exchange.
In a separate incident, a United Airlines flight from Houston to Boston experienced a biohazard situation involving a sick passenger. The plane was forced to divert to Washington Dulles International Airport.
The incident led to both passengers and crew becoming ill due to the biohazard situation. United Airlines confirmed the diversion and the situation onboard.
Both airlines involved in these separate incidents have communicated their apologies and commitment to preventing such disruptions in the future. The spotlight now remains on Air Canada's ongoing review and the anticipated measures they plan to implement in response to this incident.
