Air Canada plane diverted after 16-year-old 'attacks' family member mid-flight
Air Canada
An Air Canada flight was diverted to the Canadian city of Winnipeg after a 16-year-old passenger allegedly attacked a family member mid-air, said the police. The teenager who was reportedly restrained by the crew and passengers was later arrested.
About the incident
The alleged assault took place on Air Canada Flight 137 on Wednesday (Jan 3) which was flyingfrom the Canadian city of Toronto to Calgary, according to a statement by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
The 16-year-old boy assaulted another passenger, who police said was a family member.
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Around 12:20 pm (local time), Winnipeg Richardson International Airport RCMP “received a report of a flight diversion to Winnipeg due to an unruly passenger on board who had assaulted a passenger,” said the Canadian police.
“Airline employees and passengers were able to restrain the youth following the assault,” it added. The 16-year-old boy, who was not identified was said to be from Grande Prairie, a city in northwest Alberta.
The flight was diverted to Winnipeg where upon landing, the suspect was promptly arrested and later taken to the hospital for a medical evaluation, said the police.
“The adult passenger was treated on scene for minor physical injuries,” the RCMP said in a statement, adding that “No other passengers required medical assistance.”
Passenger behaviour
Notably, there has been an uptick in the number of incidents related to unruly passengers especially since the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to a recent report by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the number of such incidents reported has risen from 1,161 in 2019 to 2,031 in the last year.
(With inputs from agencies)