New federal data shows nearly 60 per cent of disruptive air passenger reports in Canada last year involved WestJet flights, with Calgary accounting for the largest share of incidents nationwide. A review of Transport Canada’s Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System (CADORS) shows 114 reports involving disruptive passengers were filed in 2025. Nearly three out of five of those incidents were linked to WestJet flights, and almost 40 per cent involved flights departing from or arriving in Calgary, marking the highest concentration of any Canadian city. The incidents range from intoxicated and unruly behaviour to physical assaults on flight attendants to passengers vaping or smoking marijuana in aircraft lavatories to uttering threats to refusing to comply with crew instructions. In at least one case, a passenger was accused of indecent exposure and detained by police upon landing in Alberta. While the overall number of reports declined compared to previous years—down from 176 in 2024 and 232 in 2022—aviation experts say each incident carries serious safety, operational and financial consequences for airlines and for the hundreds of other passengers affected. Calgary accounts for largest share Of the 114 reports logged nationwide, 45 involved flights arriving at or departing from Calgary International Airport, far more than Toronto with 27 reports and Vancouver with 21. WestJet accounted for 66 of the incidents, followed by Air Canada with 10 reports and Porter Airlines with six. An additional three reports were linked to WestJet subsidiary Sunwing Airlines, while several other incidents involved international carriers operating above or near Canadian airspace. Transport Canada cautions CADORS reports contain preliminary, unconfirmed information and some disruptive passenger incidents go unreported or are later classified under different categories, including security-related events. John Gradek, a faculty lecturer in supply networks and aviation management at McGill University, said the issue is longstanding but should not be minimized. “This is not a new problem. This is one that’s been going on for years,” Gradek said. “It hasn’t gone up by leaps and bounds, but each one of those incidents really has some very serious implications in terms of security and safety in aviation.” Gradek said 114 incidents represent a tiny fraction of the roughly 40 million passengers who fly annually in Canada but added aviation is an industry where even isolated incidents matter. “One is too many,” he said. “You’re flying at 34,000 feet in a confined space going 600 kilometres per hour. That’s not the place to have a powder keg.” The reports show disruptive passengers have caused flights to be delayed, diverted or forced back to the gate. In many cases, police were called to remove passengers, and some individuals were later charged or placed on airline no-fly lists. “Air operators are required to have approved procedures to manage incidents of unruly passengers,” a Transport Canada spokesperson said, adding that flight crews are trained to handle such situations. “The decision to remove a passenger or divert a flight due to unruly passenger behaviour is at the discretion of the flight crew.” ‘It threw a wrench in the works’ For Calgary resident Tony Martins, the data reflects a costly experience. Martins was travelling with his son on a fully booked Air Canada Boeing 777 from Montreal to Paris during the May long weekend last year when the captain announced the aircraft would be diverting to St. John’s, N.L., about an hour into the flight. “Some of you might be noticing we are dumping fuel,” Martins recalled hearing from the cockpit. “We had to take an emergency landing in St. John’s, and it was all due to an unruly passenger,” he said. Martins said the diversion resulted in a four-hour delay and widespread disruption. “My son and I did the brief calculations, and probably it was a $300,000 to $400,000 delay,” he said. “Dumping fuel, refuelling a 777, landing unexpectedly, paying the crew—and over half the plane had connecting passengers.” The impact extended well beyond the airport. “It threw a wrench in the works for all our plans in France,” Martins said, noting issues with rental car pickups and added expenses. Martins said the passenger involved appeared intoxicated and was escorted off the aircraft by RCMP officers waiting on the tarmac. “I was just hoping the person was charged accordingly,” he said. “It was a very selfish thing to do.” Despite the disruption, Martins said the flight crew handled the situation professionally. “Hats off to Air Canada,” he said. “Everyone was safe at the end of the day.” Call for accountability, prevention, perspective Gábor Lukács, president of Air Passenger Rights, said the numbers should be viewed in context. “We are talking about a very, very small number of cases compared to how many passengers are being transported,” Lukács said. “Most people will go their whole lives without ever seeing something like this.” However, Lukács said the high proportion of reports tied to WestJet flights raises questions worth examining, particularly around training and conflict de-escalation. “When there is an ongoing passenger incident on board, it is a collective failure of communication in many cases,” he said. “The role of flight attendants is to de-escalate situations so disagreements don’t escalate to the point where law enforcement has to be called.” Lukács also pointed to working conditions as a factor. “If you know you’re being paid very well, probably you can take it far more with a smile than if you’re having difficulty making ends meet,” he said. “Feeling valued at a job can help flight attendants have a longer fuse.” Gradek said airlines and authorities should be more transparent about the consequences of unruly behaviour, including financial penalties. He said pilots should also be empowered to act decisively when safety is at risk. “At the first instance of such behaviour, divert the airplane, get that person arrested and make the consequences public,” Gradek said. “People need to think twice.” Airlines contacted by CTV News Calgary emphasized safety, training and zero tolerance for abuse. “Safety is our highest priority,” WestJet said in a statement. “We have zero tolerance for any form of abuse directed at our employees or fellow guests.” The airline said cabin crews are trained to de-escalate incidents and passengers could face suspension from flying, up to and including lifetime bans. Meanwhile, Porter Airlines said behaviour that interferes with crew duties “is not tolerated,” and Flair Airlines cited disruptive passenger behaviour as a problem that has been increasing across the industry for years. Despite the incidents outlined in the data, aviation experts stress air travel remains safe.
