Sunwing Party Flight Passengers Fined Over $50K For Not Being Vaccinated & Not Wearing Masks
Punishments are being given out over the infamous flight! 😬✈️
Passengers on board the Sunwing party flight. Right: A Sunwing airplane.
Passengers on the Sunwing party flight have been fined more than $50,000 by the federal government for not being vaccinated and not wearing masks on the plane.
It was announced on April 28 that, following Transport Canada's investigation into the party flight from Montreal to Cancun on December 30, 2021, "the majority of non-compliant passengers have received penalties."
Transport Canada has now issued a total of 42 penalties to 37 of the 154 passengers who were on board the Sunwing plane.
That includes 18 penalties for non-compliance of vaccination status and 24 penalties for not respecting instructions to wear a mask.
Altogether, the total of these penalties is $59,500 and the fines range up to a maximum of $5,000 each.
Aviation rules are not to be taken lightly. As part of its investigation into the December 30 Montr\u00e9al-Cancun flight, 42 penalties were issued to 37 offenders. These penalties, of up to $5,000 each, total $59,500. https://ow.ly/UF0a50IUz9B\u00a0pic.twitter.com/b3a8UNV9C1— Transport Canada (@Transport Canada) 1651158247
"With this investigation, we want to send a clear message: the behaviour of some passengers on the Montreal-Cancun flight of December 30 was unacceptable, and it is not tolerated," said Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra.
The government noted that all passengers aboard a flight are subject to all civil aviation regulations and requirements.
Also, a passenger can receive more than one penalty if they've been found to not comply with more than one of the regulations or requirements.
If you missed the controversy, the now infamous Sunwing party flight was a charter full of influencers going from Montreal to Cancun on December 30, 2021.
Videos taken on board the plane showed passengers out of their seats without masks on, vaping and drinking.
Sunwing cancelled the group's return flight to Montreal that was scheduled for January 5, 2022, and other airlines including Air Canada then denied boarding to those travellers looking to come to Canada on their flights.
The group, which was made up of Quebec influencers and reality TV stars, received quite a lot of backlash.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said their behaviour was "a slap in the face" and Jimmy Fallon called the group "knuckleheads" on The Tonight Show.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.