A case involving a passenger accused of causing a disturbance on a WestJet flight earlier this month went before the court on Monday.
David Stephen Young, 44, was removed from a plane after it returned to Calgary’s airport on January 4th, 2019.
The flight left Calgary for London at about 6:00 p.m. and was turned around about an hour into the flight because of an unruly passenger.
Young was reportedly being rude to a flight attendant and he was arrested at the gate when the flight returned to Calgary.
He faces five charges including; causing a disturbance, criminal harassment, and assaulting a peace officer.
He is also charged with failing to comply with instruction under the Canadian Aviation Regulation.
Police say intoxication was likely a factor in the incident.
WestJet says it was an isolated incident but that safety is a priority.
“We did have concerns about the behavior on board enough that we turned around a full aircraft of almost 260 people in order to bring it back to Calgary in order to get this person off,” said Lauren Stewart from WestJet.
The airline could try to seek compensation from Young for the costs of the detour but the company wouldn’t say if it would or not because the case is now before the courts.
Young is currently out on bail and the case returns to court on Wednesday.
