After a sensational party flight to Mexico without observing corona measures, a group of young Canadians is apparently stuck there. At least two Canadian airlines said they wanted to refuse to take them back home for safety reasons because of their behavior on the outbound flight, after another airline had canceled the return flight. Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called them “idiots”.
The Canadian Department of Transportation tweeted Thursday that it was investigating the case. Fines of up to Canadian $ 5,000 per offense could be imposed. Travelers who endangered the lives of others and caused harm could face up to three years in prison and / or fines of up to a million dollars, the government said in a further statement.
Videos from the charter plane that flew from Montréal, Canada to Cancun, Mexico, on December 30th, had been broadcast on social media. It shows how young people celebrate exuberantly without wearing masks or keeping a distance from one another. Apparently they dance and drink alcohol, and a woman smokes an e-cigarette. According to media reports, they were influencers and reality TV stars from the province of Québec. When asked about the case, Trudeau said at a press conference on Wednesday that the travel group’s irresponsible behavior was a slap in the face.
A 19-year-old college student told Canadian Press that she won the trip on Instagram. In Mexico, she had tested positive for the corona virus – as were an estimated 30 other members of the group. She does not know how to pay for the extended hotel stay. A man who posed as the organizer of the trip announced that it was the first travel event of his private club. He learned a lot.
