An elderly passenger on a Toronto-bound Air Canada flight had to be restrained after he attempted to open the plane's door mid-flight while ''in a state of crisis and confusion.'' According to Toronto Star, the elderly man was aboard the flight on January 21 when he tried to open one of the emergency doors while the plane was at cruising altitude.
After the passenger was pulled from the door by airline staff, he was restrained for the duration of the flight "as part of their flight safety protocols," Peel Regional Police told the Toronto Star. The police later said that the aircraft landed safely at Pearson Airport shortly after 3 p.m.
Upon arrival, officers from Peel Regional Police boarded the Air Canada 787-9 to speak with the man after all other passengers had disembarked. They quickly established that the incident was not intentional, and the passenger was sent on his way.
''The passenger, an elderly male, had been in a state of crisis and confusion and it does not appear that his actions were intentional. No criminal charges have been laid, and the man and his family have been connected with additional resources,'' a spokesperson for Peel Regional Police said.
Air Canada also confirmed that there was a mid-flight incident with a ''disruptive passenger'' on Boeing 787-9 travelling from London Heathrow to Toronto on January 21.
''Our crews are experienced and managed the situation appropriately, allowing the flight to continue normally to its destination. As per procedures, authorities met the aircraft. We have no additional details to provide, but as noted the aircraft operated the flight normally,” the airline said in a written statement.
Air Canada also noted that it is not possible to open aircraft doors at high altitude as they are designed to “act as a plug” taking advantage of internal and external air pressure to “create a secure seal.”
The incident comes weeks after after a passenger onboard an Air Canada flight jumped off the plane before it took off for Dubai. The passenger "boarded the aircraft normally" at Toronto Pearson International Airport on January 8 but later opened the cabin door instead of sitting on his seat.
He fell 20 feet to the tarmac and sustained injuries after the incident. According to the Air Canada website, the incident caused a nearly six-hour delay in the Boeing 747's takeoff as staff members attended to the passenger and looked into the situation.
