KUGLUKTUK/COPPERMINE
Passengers heading to Cambridge Bay from Yellowknife earlier this month faced a lengthy delay in Kugluktuk after an unruly woman accosted a flight attendant.

An intoxicated woman on a Canadian North Dash 8 aircraft allegedly accosted a flight attendant during a flight to Cambridge Bay on March 13. The co-pilot had to be called to help subdue the woman, who was taken into police custody during a scheduled stopover in Kugluktuk. - NNSL file photo

“On March 13, we had a passenger who boarded our aircraft and snuck some alcohol on board,” said Canadian North spokesperson Scott Weatherall.

The woman was able to bring alcohol on the plane because there is no passenger screening process for flights headed north from Yellowknife.

“All of our staff followed procedure,” said Weatherall, noting the woman did not appear intoxicated when checking in for the flight.

Shortly after the flight began, the woman went to the washroom where she allegedly consumed alcohol she had brought with her. Two empty bottles were found in the washroom.

“When she exited the washroom of our aircraft, she accosted one of our flight attendants,” said Weatherall.

The Canadian North spokesperson would not disclose many details on the alleged assault other than to say “she grabbed the flight attendant.” He said the matter is under investigation by Nunavut RCMP.

As the 21-seat Dash 8 aircraft was manned by a single flight attendant, the co-pilot had to exit the cockpit to separate the woman from the flight attendant and secure her back in her seat, he said.

The flight continued to Kugluktuk, where it was scheduled to make a stop before continuing on to Cambridge Bay. RCMP met the plane at the airport to escort the alleged assailant, as well as another intoxicated woman on the flight, to the police detachment for questioning.

Nunavut RCMP were unavailable to comment by press time, but Weatherall said the woman who accosted the flight attendant had been charged while the other woman had not.

Other passengers on the flight had to wait in the Kugluktuk airport for more than four hours after the two women were taken away because the flight attendant “was not willing to go on,” said Weatherall.

As a result, the pilot and co-pilot flew the now-empty plane back to Yellowknife to retrieve another flight attendant and then returned to Kugluktuk to pick up the stranded passengers and complete the flight.

The delay and extra flying time cost the company “tens of thousands of dollars,” said Weatherall.

The passengers were provided a meal by Canadian North while they waited, he said, but “the whole situation was unfortunate.”

No alcohol was served on the flight, said Weatherall. He added that removing passengers from Canadian North flights for being intoxicated is “pretty rare.”

As a result of the incident, the airline is reviewing its screening practices and procedures.

Whether or not passengers go through security prior to boarding a plane depends on which airport they are flying to, said Daniel Auger, assistant deputy minister for the GNWT Department of Transportation.

Transport Canada classifies some airports as designated airports, including those in Edmonton, Ottawa and most southern cities, which means all passengers must be screened.

Airports north of Yellowknife are non-designated.

At the Yellowknife Airport, northbound passengers do go through security if their flight leaves around the same time as a flight headed to a designated airport because passengers mingle prior to boarding, said Auger.

With Air North now flying from Yellowknife to Ottawa twice per week, northbound passengers are now going through security more often in Yellowknife, he added. However, individual airlines can decide to board their passengers through a separate door to avoid any additional wait time.