Police are now recommending charges against 10 passengers that officers had to remove from a Mexico-bound flight at Vancouver International Airport over the weekend.
Richmond RCMP responded to a report of “unruly passengers” aboard a WestJet aircraft on April 11 at approximately 7:30 a.m., the federal policing service said in a press release.
The passengers aboard the flight, set to depart for Cabo San Lucas, allegedly failed to comply with flight crew instructions, resulting in safety issues and a delay in takeoff, police said.
“Richmond RCMP officers attended and worked with airline staff to safely de-escalate the situation, which included directing passengers to deplane,” the Mounties wrote in a statement.
No injuries were reported and the flight left for Mexico at roughly 9:30 a.m.
The RCMP said in its April 14 press release that it recommends charges be laid against the 10 people arrested in connection with the incident. Richmond RCMP suggests mischief charges be filed in accordance with the Criminal Code, as well as charges for failing to adhere to flight crew instructions as stipulated by the Aeronautics Act.
The suspects have all been released on undertakings with a date to appear in Richmond Provincial Court.
WestJet said in a media statement that it is conducting a “thorough review” of the weekend incident.
The WestJet flight incident is not an isolated occurrence, but recent statistics show disruptive passenger incidents in Canada are declining from the peak pandemic years.
There were 114 disruptive passenger reports filed in 2025 compared to 176 in 2024 and 232 in 2022, according to Canadian transportation authorities. Despite this downward trend, incidents—including assaults on crew and refusal to obey rules—remain high compared to pre-pandemic levels.
Some of the incidents last year included a passenger who was accused of physically assaulting a flight attendant, as well as another individual reported for smoking marijuana in the aircraft washroom. Another incident involved a couple with an infant who were removed from a flight to Edmonton by the RCMP after reportedly hitting each other during a dispute.
Under Canadian law, illegal behaviour includes violence, intimidation, harassment, verbal abuse, drunk or disorderly conduct, ignoring smoking regulations, drinking personal alcohol, or refusing to follow crew instructions.
“If you do these things before a flight, the crew can deny you service,” Transport Canada said in a post on its website. “If you do these things during a flight, the plane may need to make an unscheduled landing and police will meet the aircraft. You could be arrested, charged, or prosecuted.”
