The Public Health Agency of Canada is now investigating Air Canada after crew members were set to force two passengers to sit on vomit-soaked seats for a five-hour flight from Las Vegas to Montreal last week. The pair never got that chance, however, because the captain kicked them off the plane for “rude behavior.” The airline has already apologized to the passengers, and the crew will likely be spending some time with HR. “They clearly did not receive the standard of care to which they were entitled,” the airline said in a statement emailed to The Canadian Press. “Our operating procedures were not followed correctly in this instance.”
The passengers saw and smelled the vomit on their seats and protested to flight attendants, who were sympathetic but said there were no seats available on the full flight. The passengers asked for wipes to clean the seats themselves and blankets to sit on, and as they were trying to make the best of it the captain appeared and gave them the option to leave voluntarily or he’d call security. Amid protests from fellow passengers the two were escorted off the plane and their names put on an internal no-fly list.
The story went viral on social media and the health officials got wind of it. “Blood, vomit and diarrhea may contain microorganisms that can cause disease. These fluids, and the surfaces that come in contact with them, should always be considered as contaminated,” the agency said in a statement. The agency said it had been in contact with Air Canada on Wednesday.
