Blanket Dispute Leads to Air Canada Flight Cancellation

A Montreal-bound Air Canada flight from Casablanca was cancelled on Friday after a heated confrontation between a flight attendant and a passenger. The altercation unfolded when a traveler requested a blanket due to the cabin’s excessive air conditioning.

This seemingly minor request escalated tensions, prompting the flight attendant to call local authorities to remove the passenger from the aircraft, which was still on the tarmac ready for departure.

As word of the incident spread, other passengers chose to disembark in solidarity with the removed traveler, leading to the cancellation of the flight. Flight data from Flightradar24.com indicates that Air Canada flight AC73 was scheduled to depart from Mohammed V International Airport in Casablanca at 8:50 a.m. local time, with an intended arrival at Montreal’s Trudeau International Airport at 11:50 a.m. EDT.

The aircraft involved, a 23-year-old Airbus A330-300, has a seating capacity of approximately 300 passengers, according to ch-Aviation. A video shared on X (formerly Twitter) by user @fl360aero captures the moment, showing a bilingual flight attendant admonishing passengers in both French and English, saying, “I don’t want any bullying against my crew, OK? Everyone behave.” A bystander’s reaction to the attendant’s behavior can be heard in the background, stating, “Look at this attitude right here.”

https://x.com/fl360aero/status/1817249195960455420

In response to the incident, an Air Canada spokesperson remarked, “We are taking this incident very seriously. It is under review, and we will take appropriate action.” The airline also issued an apology to affected customers.

By Saturday, the same aircraft had completed a rescheduled flight to Montreal. It remains unclear whether the flight attendant involved was on that rescheduled journey.