Airliner meltdowns have become depressingly common, but it’s not often a flight is canceled because of a crew member’s behavior and subsequent passenger revolt. That was the case Friday when an Air Canada purser flew into a rage after an exchange with a passenger. The airline has since apologized for the incident and said it is under review. According to social media accounts the dispute involved the passenger’s request for a blanket to thwart the vigorous pre-takeoff air conditioning on the A330 that was about to take them from Casablanca to Montreal. The exchange apparently escalated and video shows the purser yelling in French and then saying she didn’t want any “bullying against my crew.”
The plane was already taxiing when the exchange occurred and headed back to the gate so the passenger could be taken off. But many of the other passengers said they also wanted to get off, citing the purser’s behavior. The flight was canceled and operated Saturday with a different crew. “We are taking this incident very seriously,” Air Canada said in a statement. “It is under review, and we will take appropriate action. We apologize to our customers and deeply regret that their experience today fell far short of what they have come to expect when flying with Air Canada.”
