Two separate Air Transat flights were diverted to Ottawa airport on Monday after bad weather, with passengers one of the planes trapped for more than five hours.
Passengers took to social media to describe the situation inside the aircraft, which at one point reportedly lost power and air conditioning, with reports that a child had fallen ill from the heat inside the cabin.
https://twitter.com/lauralmah/status/892199513561214976
When one passenger called the 911 emergency services, the cabin crew were filmed asking the caller to come forward, which then led to angry responses on social media.
Meanwhile on the other diverted flight, which had been travelling from Rome to Montreal, passengers were trapped on board for four hours, with news reports in Canada stating that at least one passenger had also called for help from the emergency services.
Ottowa International airport later tweeted that it was the airline’s decision on whether passengers should be allowed to disembark.
It also confirmed that the emergency services had received several 911 calls from passengers on the flight, the BBC said.
Krista Kealey, spokesperson for Ottawa International Airport Authority said: "We had a gate available and air stairs ready in the event that the airline decided to deplane. We also had buses on the tarmac ready to shuttle passengers to the terminal - buses the Authority purchased specifically for situations such as this.
"Neither the ground handling service nor the airline requested either of these during
the event.
"We keep a supply of water, food, diapers and other personal hygiene necessities to support passenger needs in irregular operation scenarios, and were prepared to deploy these supplies.
"Although our staff tried several times to contact the aircrew through the handlers to provide further assistance, the air crew was non-communicative and did not take us up on our offers to assist further.
However Air Transat has disputed the airport’s explanation of what happened, tweeting:
https://twitter.com/airtransat/status/892516512908574722
One passenger reportedly received medical assistance during the delay, according to Ottawa International Airport.
An inquiry has now been launched by the Canadian Transportation Agency to examine the incidents, the BBC said.
Agency chair Scott Streiner said: “Air travel is an integral part of modern life. Usually, it goes smoothly, but if something goes wrong, passengers have rights.
"This inquiry will determine, based on the evidence and the law, whether the treatment of passengers on the two flights was in line with the airline’s obligations - and if not, what corrective measures should be ordered," he added.
