A recent Etihad Airways flight to Abu Dhabi was forced to return to Toronto following an “incident” on board the luxury superjumbo jet involving an “unruly passenger,” according to Transport Canada.
In a statement to CTV News Toronto, the federal government agency said the flight from Toronto Pearson International Airport took off for the United Arab Emirates capital on the afternoon of Monday, July 14 before it turned back.
Data from Flight Aware shows that the plane turned around east of the Newfoundland and Labrador coastline more than seven hours into the 12-hour-long flight.
Peel police, which has jurisdiction over Pearson airport, confirmed to CTV News Toronto that its officers responded to reports of a “disturbance” on board an aircraft.
“Investigation revealed that this was due to a person in crisis and no aircraft door was opened. The individual in question was safely transported to hospital accompanied by police and paramedics and there were no reported physical injuries as a result,” police said.
Neither Transport Canada or Peel police said what occurred on the flight to trigger the return to Toronto. However, the former explained why the crew may have made the decision.
“Air operators are required to have approved procedures to manage incidents of unruly passengers, to ensure crew members are trained on these procedures, and reporting incidents to the operator,” a spokesperson said in a statement. “The decision to remove a passenger or divert a flight due to unruly passenger behaviour is at the discretion of the flight crew. If an incident occurs during flight, the aircraft may make an unscheduled landing, and the police will meet the aircraft.”
CTV News Toronto has reached out Etihad for comment but has not received a response.
Etihad, one of two flag carriers of the UAE, started flying the Airbus A380, the world’s largest passenger aircraft, out of Toronto last month.
The double-decker craft is capable of carrying more than 850 people at a time and features a private three-room suite called “The Residence,” which houses a living room, bedroom and ensuite bathroom with shower.