A few seniors were escorted off an Air Canada flight by armed police for no reason. Richard Brailey, 71, had just completed a three-week trip across Canada with his 66-year-old wife Patricia. † The couple had taken their seats and waited for the start.
According to the couple, armed police and airport personnel approached them and asked them to get off the plane along with 20 others aboard the delayed Air Canada flight departing from Montreal for London Heathrow† The couple had no choice but to oblige.
The official statement given by Air Canada begins: “Our general policy is not to discuss incidents of disruptive behavior on board our aircraft, but we can confirm the disembarkation of passengers from Flight AC866 on June 20 [the original day of the flight] related to non-compliance with Canadian government mask regulations, Canadian aviation regulations and our crew guidelines.”
However, the Braileys say they both wore their masks.
The statement continued: “The measures taken were for the safety and benefit of the other 266 passengers on the flight.”
Still, the Baileys slept and didn’t disturb anyone.
After being escorted from the Air Canada flight early Tuesday morning, the escorted seniors had to re-enter the country. The Braileys checked themselves back through Canadian customs, which took the pair up to two in the morning.
Air Canada did not pay for a hotel for the couple and also informed them that they could not fly for 24 hours. The Braileys were forced to spend the night at the airport.
Brailey’s children booked a flight for their parents for the following evening, the costs of which were not immediately covered by Air Canada. After the couple’s family bought the tickets, the airline changed their mind and decided to fly to NYC.
From there, the two would take the flight to Heathrow. The pair eventually took Air Canada’s alternate flight, arriving home more than 24 hours after their original scheduled arrival time.
mr. Brailey said: the independent“Everyone treated us like we weren’t okay at all.”
Air Canada stated: “We regret that some customers who were not involved have unfortunately disembarked. We’ve since reached out to those we’ve determined were inappropriately removed to apologize and allay their concerns.”
Under Canadian air transportation rules, the Braileys could receive monetary compensation for their problems. But they may never get a full explanation of exactly why it happened.