WestJet Flight Forced to Land in BC After ‘Disruptive’ Passenger Tries to Open Exit Door

A WestJet plane waits at a gate at Calgary International Airport in Calgary on Aug. 31, 2022. Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press

A WestJet flight en route to Calgary made an unscheduled landing in Terrace, B.C., this week after a “disruptive” passenger allegedly consumed an illegal substance before boarding then left his seat during takeoff and tried to open the exit doors.

The RCMP was called to deal with a passenger on board the aircraft May 27 after the flight was forced to turn back to Terrace for an emergency landing.

“Officers were advised that the passenger had been disruptive, failing to remain in his seat during take-off, showing signs of paranoia and attempting to open the exits. The man admitted to having consumed an illegal substance prior to departure,” Terrace RCMP said in a press release, without naming the substance.

“Other passengers on the plane assisted with the man, restraining him until the flight was on the ground and police were able to board the plane.”

Upon entering the plane, the officers determined the man was suffering a mental health crisis and apprehended him under the Mental Health Act, the RCMP said. He was arrested and transported to a local hospital for assessment.

No one was injured, the RCMP added.

WestJet spokesperson Morgan Bell said the flight reached Calgary “with a minimal delay” despite the disruption.

“We appreciate our guests’ patience and understanding and apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused,” Ms. Bell said in an emailed statement. “WestJet has a zero-tolerance approach to any disruptive or unruly behaviour that could impact the safety and security of our guests, employees and operations.”

Unruly Passenger Incidents Rising

This is not the first time this year a Canadian airline has been forced to deal with a disruptive passenger.

An “unruly” teen was arrested Jan. 3 after an assault aboard an Air Canada flight forced the plane to make an unscheduled stop in Winnipeg, Man.

The aircraft was en route from Toronto to Calgary when a teenage passenger assaulted a relative aboard the flight, the RCMP said in a press release at the time. Airline employees and passengers were able to restrain the youth.

A 16-year-old boy from Grande Prairie, Alta., was arrested by RCMP officers and was taken to hospital for “medical evaluation” while the adult passenger was treated on scene for minor physical injuries.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has reported a global increase in such incidents, saying that while physical abuse remains “very rare,” such in-air altercations have increased 61 percent since 2021.

This “alarming” increase amounts to one violent incident every 17,200 flights, the IATA said in a 2023 press release.

Most incidents classified as “unruly” are due to verbal abuse or intoxication, with one incident reported for every 568 flights in 2022, up from one per 835 flights in 2021, IATA figures show.

“The increasing trend of unruly passenger incidents is worrying,“ IATA deputy director general Conrad Clifford said in the press release. ”While our professional crews are well trained to manage unruly passenger scenarios, it is unacceptable that rules in place for everyone’s safety are disobeyed by a small but persistent minority of passengers.”