A Winnipeg Man Was Arrested For Refusing To Wear His Mask On A Flight

The city seems to have a trend of getting people who hate wearing their masks on planes. In Winnipeg, a man got arrested and charged for not wearing his on a flight in from Vancouver, according to RCMP. That makes the second time something like this has happened in the city.

On Monday night, June 22, RCMP at James Richardson Winnipeg International Airport responded to a report of an "unruly passenger" right about to land, read the release. The flight crew had asked for the help of officers.

"Officers were advised that a male on the flight refused to wear his personal protective face mask when directed to do so," the report continued.

After landing, officers encountered the man, a 39-year-old from Winnipeg, and slapped him with a charge of "Fail to Comply with instructions of flight crew" for not wearing his mask when asked. The maximum fine is $5,000 for doing so.

Oddly, this is not the only case of this happening in the city. On Sunday, June 14, one unruly Vancouver flyer actually caused his flight to divert from their original destination of Toronto for a stop in Winnipeg, after not only refusing to wear his mask but also lighting a cigarette on board.

As of Monday, April 20, it became mandatory for all Canadians to wear masks when travelling by plane. While before it was only a recommendation, now you can actually be charged with hefty fees.

The rule doesn't just extend to people on board the planes, but to people going through screening or in situations where social distancing isn't possible, according to Transport Canada.

Although planes and airline companies are trying to make people safe and comfortable by adding new regulations and making face masks mandatory, it doesn't always go so smoothly.

For example, an Air Canada flight was reportedly jam-packed with people on a flight to Edmonton. But at least everyone was wearing their masks.

This doesn't mean you need to be wearing a heavy-duty medical mask — a non-medical cloth mask does the job as well, according to the government. And you can still take it off when eating or drinking. As long as you wear it when you're asked, they say, you're golden.