Several influencers still banned from planes

MISE À DAY

Several members of Sunwing's infamous flight of influencers are still banned from Canadian planes a year later, including those who didn't party. 

< p>This flight of December 30, 2021 caused reactions from all over the world as several young people partied without masks on the plane in full confinement, in a pandemic context.

Still to this day, many of them are on the blacklist of Canadian carriers, including those who have not been fined by Transport Canada. 

This is the case of Sabrina Iorio who unable to travel more than a year after the theft organized by entrepreneur James William Awad. However, she claims to have respected the rules, such as wearing a mask.

Sabrina Iorio says she followed the rules during the infamous Sunwing influencer flight, such as wearing a mask.

She realized this summer that she was under a travel ban when checking in on an Air Canada flight to Italy last summer. 

< p>“It's been two months since my ticket was booked. […] When I showed up there on August 11, they didn't let me board my flight, “says the 34-year-old young woman, who claims not to have received a ticket during the famous flight.

Like a criminal

Over the past few months, she has multiplied the steps with Air Canada, Transport Canada and the Canadian Transportation Agency without managing to be removed from the blacklist.  

As part of the program J.E which will be presented this evening at 9:30 p.m., our Investigation Office accompanied her to the service office at Air Canada customers, located at Montreal-Trudeau airport. 

“It won't work, even if you manage to get a ticket. It's as if you were a criminal. Nearly ! It won't block just here,” explains the employee on duty.

“Everyone passes the buck. By association, I am guilty”, deplores Mrs. Iorio, discouraged.

Disarray

Other passengers, who wanted to preserve their anonymity testify also been denied access.

“I don't want to be associated with this story anymore. But last year, I had to travel to a dozen countries and it was so complicated,” explained one of them.

A distress also felt by a young professional who was denied a flight to Portugal.

Another must now fly from the United States for travel after being blocked by Canadian carriers.

Joined by our Bureau of Investigation, James William Awad assured that he had regained the right to fly, with the exception of Air Canada. He said that others have also managed to get back on the plane since.

Of the 154 travelers, 37 were blamed in connection with the health measures at the time. The total bill for the 42 tickets issued is $59,500. 

Transport Canada is refusing to release the findings of the investigation, given that “a number of sanctions is the subject of applications to the Transportation Appeal Tribunal of Canada.

Federal Transport Minister Omar Alghabra declined to comment. 

An overly arbitrary blacklist

The inclusion of young travelers on a carrier blacklist is arbitrary and disproportionate, according to specialist lawyer Julius Grey.

“People are kicked out or canceled without an audition, without knowing why, without a deadline. […] A law exists and in certain cases, individuals can be subject to a restriction, but it must be proven for good reasons, it must be proportional “, explains the lawyer. 

According to him, the way of the courts becomes the only possible option; by declaratory judgment, injunction or class action. 

Disruptors banned

Screenshot J.E Mehran Ebrahimi
teacher

Aviation specialist Professor Mehran Ebrahimi concedes that the tolerance threshold of carriers may vary, but the goal remains the same. 

“ With the advent of democratization of civil aviation, the low cost, we have witnessed a growing phenomenon of unacceptable behavior. […] The airlines have started working together […] to ensure that disruptive people are banned.” 

” These people will surely be evaluated a very long time before being able to board! , commented airline pilot Dominique Daoust. Carriers Air Canada, Air Transat and Sunwing refused to provide an update on the situation. 

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