'Unruly’ Teen Passenger Arrested After Allegedly Causing Flight to Be Diverted

Mar. 15, 2025

Stock image of a cabin view of an Air Canada flight.Photo:Getty

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A flight traveling to Calgary, Canada, from Toronto on Wednesday had to be diverted after a 16-year-old male allegedly assaulted his family member.

The incident caused Air Canada Flight 137 to divert from its original travel plan and land at Winnipeg Richardson International Airport, according to anews releasefrom the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Stock image of a passport and boarding pass.Getty

While no other passengers required medical assistance, the victim — described as an “adult male passenger” — was treated at the scene for “minor physical injuries.”

PEOPLE has reached out to Air Canada for comment.

The International Air Transport Association categorizesunruly passenger casesas “incidents that involve violence against crew and other passengers, harassment, and failure to comply with safety and public health instructions.”

According toAirlinesmagazine, intoxication, verbal abuse, and non-compliance have been reported as the most common incidents in unruly passenger cases.

Stock image of the bottom of an airplane.Getty

“There was one incident reported for every 568 flights in 2022, up from one per 835 flights in 2021,” the outlet reported in August. Incidents of physical abuse have remained rare but had an “alarming increase of 61% over 2021, occurring once every 17,200 flights,” according to the outlet.

Air Canada made headlines recently after aviation analytics firmCiriumranked them last in areportof the worst on-time performance from major North American airlines.

Airlines, including Delta, United, and Southwest, were also on their list. The airline responded to the report in a statement toNow Toronto.

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source: people.com