Pubdate: Mon, 01 Sep 2014
Source: Globe and Mail (Canada)
Copyright: 2014 The Globe and Mail Company
Contact:  http://www.theglobeandmail.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/168
Author: Arik Ligeti
Page: A4

AVIATION DATA DETAIL INCIDENCES OF INTOXICATED FLIERS IN CANADA

The two allegedly drunk women on Wednesday's Sunwing flight to Cuba
are among hundreds of Canadians who have caused trouble in the skies
in the past decade.

There have been at least 263 alcohol-, cigarette-or marijuana-related
incidents on Canadian flights, or flights passing through Canada,
since 2005, according to an analysis of Transport Canada aviation data.

And if you've ever been lucky enough to witness one of them, odds are
you were flying WestJet. A total of 205, or 78 per cent of all
reports, were for incidents on WestJet planes.

WestJet's high numbers aren't necessarily an indication of more
troublemakers aboard, company media relations adviser Brie Ogle said
in an e-mail. Rather, it's "a direct reflection of how often and how
consistently we report alcohol and cigarette-related incidents."

"We have little tolerance for those who would jeopardize the safety on
board our aircraft, and the only way we can ensure those committing
infractions are dealt with appropriately is to track them
consistently," Ms. Ogle said.

Those infractions include a time in 2008 when, on a WestJet flight
from Montreal to Winnipeg, a passenger was discovered smoking in the
lavatory.

Shortly after, he was "observed rolling cigarettes in his seat and had
taken his shirt off. He would only respond to French," the report said.

It was later confirmed he was smoking both cigarettes and marijuana on
board the flight. The information was collected based on word
searches, including "alcohol," "intoxicated," and "cigarette," in
CADORS, Transport Canada's public aviation database.

Air Canada, the country's biggest carrier, sat a distant second with
13 reports. "We are fully compliant with all reporting requirements,"
said company spokesperson Peter Fitzpatrick in an e-mail.

Taken as a whole, the number of incidents reflects only a fraction of
the passengers onboard planes. WestJet's 166 reports from January,
2010, through June, 2014, account for 0.21 per cent of all its
passengers over the time period.
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MAP posted-by: Matt