Sunwing party flight showcases need for stronger rules: Flight attendants

From The Toronto Star – link to source story

By The Canadian Press | Wed., January 5, 2022

MONTREAL – In the wake of a party on a Sunwing Airlines flight from Montreal to Cancun, Mexico, flight attendants are demanding stronger action from government and carriers to ensure health and safety on board amid the Omicron surge.

Videos of the Dec. 30 flight shared on social media appear to show passengers not wearing masks as they gather in close proximity, singing and dancing in the aisle and on seats.

Wesley Lesosky, president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees airline division, which represents some 15,000 employees, says governments should work to speed up access to booster shots for flight crews and that airlines should scale back service in the aisles to limit flight attendants’ exposure to the virus.

Rena Kisfalvi, who heads the union local representing about 1,000 Sunwing flight attendants, says Sunwing is the only major Canadian airline that does not offer rapid tests to cabin crews, a measure she believes should be mandatory.

Kisfalvi says up to 50 per cent of her colleagues have had to call in sick over the past month due to potential COVID-19 symptoms.

Sunwing and the federal Transport Department did not respond immediately to requests for comment.

Transport Minister Omar Alghabra and three other cabinet members said in a release Tuesday that officials will launch an investigation into the Sunwing incident and that non-compliance with regulations can result in fines of up to $5,000.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 5, 2022.