Some passengers on the Sunwing flight who gathered around a hundred disruptive revelers reportedly used a fake vaccination passport, while others did not have one at all, sources told Press. Back home, the controversial organizer of the party considers having taken all the necessary precautions before the flight.
According to our information, more than a hundred passengers were already on board and were seated in the aircraft when the airline employees realized that the vaccine passports should have been requested, although it is not known if this was done or not.
Sources told us that several of the travelers would have had fake vaccination passports or not at all.
According to our information, 187 passengers took the charter flight of the Toronto company Sunwing on December 30 to go to the Cancun region, Mexico.
A number of those travelers returned on an Air Canada flight to Trudeau Airport in Montreal on Wednesday evening. According to our information, 28 passengers on this flight were subject to a lookout, in particular for public health reasons.
Upon arrival, these passengers were met for a few hours by border services officers and public health officials. Investigators from Transport Canada were also said to have been present.
Press asked the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) how many of these passengers had a valid vaccination passport and how many had downloaded the app ComingCAN, on which they should have registered their vaccination passport and indicated the results of their tests for COVID-19.
“The Canada Border Services Agency is bound by the Privacy Act and we cannot provide information on a particular traveler or group of travelers, ”responded CBSA spokesperson Judith Gadbois-St-Cyr.
She added, however, that all travelers were required by law to answer all questions honestly and that giving false information was a serious offense that could result in a fine or criminal charges.
“A person who presents false information about their vaccine status or falsified COVID-19 test results could be subject to a fine of up to $ 750,000, six months in jail, or both.” , said the spokesperson.
Boarding denied
Passengers who arrived Wednesday evening were able to board an Air Canada flight despite the refusal announced by the company because all the names of the festive passengers had not yet been processed in the systems, and they were thus able to pass between the cracks.
Sunwing’s passenger manifesto was not forwarded to Air Canada; This made it difficult to prevent passengers on that flight from boarding his device, the company said by email.
“As we have indicated, to the extent that it is possible for us to identify the passengers who were part of the group, we deny them boarding in order to ensure the safety of other passengers and our crews. It is for this reason that we refused boarding to 15 people. [mercredi] and four others [jeudi] morning. ”
Other passengers on the tumultuous December 30 flight may have returned to Canada through other ports of entry, or will do so in the coming days.
In a written exchange with Press, James William Awad, the tour operator, said he was “not aware that there [avait] many unvaccinated ”in Sunwing’s flight chartered by his company 111 Private Club.
Mr Awad argued that “Mexico does not oblige the vaccine” and says the carrier “did not ask everyone to provide proof of the vaccine”. He also claims to be “doubly vaccinated”. “And I advise everyone to do it,” he wrote.
The Sunwing company did not respond to any of the requests sent by Press since the start of this controversy.
The organizer defends himself
Despite widespread criticism, the controversial air show organizer denounced Sunwing’s decision to cancel the return flight.
PHOTO FROM JAMES WILLIAM AWAD’S FACEBOOK PAGE
James william awad
“I accepted all of its conditions including the presence of the guards while assuring them that the established measures would be respected,” wrote James William Awad, nicknamed Senior, in a statement released Thursday on Twitter.
He said he met with a Sunwing safety representative on Tuesday to discuss the conditions of the flight. In particular, he was required to have security guards at his expense, to wear intervention masks at all times and to have a negative PCR test for everyone. The flight would have been alcohol-free, and passengers would have had to remain seated with their cellphones tidy throughout the flight.
James William Awad says he did not make the deal since Sunwing allegedly refused to provide meals to passengers during the flight.
“They canceled our flight based on assumptions and the other airlines did the same,” he criticizes.
“I can understand why citizens can be angry as a result of the events. Being a person who likes to bring people together, I was committed to making a private event in complete safety, ”says Mr. Awad.
He believes that he has demanded health regulations that are stricter than those in the country of destination. According to him, the passengers had to be tested in Montreal before leaving for Cancun although no test is required to enter Mexico.
He explains that he hired a “private plane” – referring here to chartered flights – to ensure everyone’s safety.
Mr. Awad says he is working “tirelessly” to ensure a safe return to Montreal as quickly as possible for travelers who remain stuck there.
In 2015, the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) issued a formal “warning” against James William Awad, who at the time had another first name. The Laval resident had then solicited investors on Facebook without holding a license or having the skills to do such an activity. The AMF court ordered him to cease the activities of his firm KJRVS inc., In addition to paying fines.
Charter flights are easily accessible in Quebec, explains Mehran Ebrahimi, director of the International Observatory of Aeronautics and Civil Aviation. “As long as you can pay and you’re not on the carrier and security blacklist, it’s possible. ”
He wonders how quickly Sunwing made a commitment to transport Mr. Awad’s group. The organizer announced that a “private plane flight with DJ” was included in the trip. “The company’s responsibility in this regard is to ensure that passengers agree to comply with safety measures. ”