Experts say the outrage sparked by news of a passenger incident involving a vomit-smeared airplane seat reflects a broader frustration with flight operations in Canada. An Air Canada Airbus A330 approaches for landing in Lisbon, Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Armando Franca
MONTREAL – Experts say the outrage sparked by news of a passenger incident involving a vomit-smeared airplane seat reflects a broader frustration with flight operations in Canada.
On Tuesday, Air Canada said it apologized to two passengers who were escorted off the plane by security after protesting that their seats were soiled – and still wet.
The airline said the customers did not receive the proper standard of care ahead of the Aug. 26 flight from Las Vegas to Montreal.
In a Facebook post that has since gone viral, Susan Benson of New Brunswick said she was in the row behind the two women, who asked for blankets and wipes to clean the area themselves before a pilot told them they could either leave the plane voluntarily or be escorted off by security and placed on a no-fly list due to rude behaviour – a characterization Benson rejected.
John Gradek, who teaches aviation management at McGill University, says the plane never should have been dispatched, given what he dubbed a biohazard.
He says the outcry on social media sparked by the incident speaks to a degraded level of service perceived by Canadians following more than a year marred by frequent flight delays and lost luggage.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 6, 2023.
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