Formula 1 community slams Air Canada after pregnant Williams employee removed from flight

A pregnant member of the Williams team was one of those removed from the flight.

The Formula 1 community has expressed its frustration at Air Canada after a number of people, including a pregnant Williams team member, were removed from a flight from Montreal to London.

After the Canadian Grand Prix weekend, a plane carrying multiple members of the paddock was held on the ground by armed forces who, with little to no explanation, decided to eject people from the plane.

F1 publication Motorsport Week reported that one of their employees had also been removed, and that no support or help was given to them when they disembarked and headed back to the gate.

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They also allege that the airline neglected to arrange replacement flights or any overnight accommodation, but F1 organisers were fortunately on hand to ensure overnight stays and alternative flights were available.

Sky Sports commentator David Croft then revealed that one of those removed from the aircraft was not reunited with either his cabin or hold luggage, so had no access to his phone, wallet or passport.

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The Briton himself had his flight cancelled and, upon eventually returning to the United Kingdom, found that his luggage had not been loaded at Pierre Trudeau airport, so he had to wait for that too.

Jess McFayden, director of digital strategy at Motorsport.net, Motorsport.com and Autosport, was on the flight in question, and confirmed that a family of four had been ejected along with around 19 others.

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She stumbled across news that Heathrow had ordered 10 percent of passengers to be removed from inbound flights and, on the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that she was on, 10 percent of its capacity is 29.

There is, however, no indication as to whether this had any bearing on the between 23 and 30 customers that were taken off the flight.

Formula1News.co.uk has contacted Air Canada asking for an explanation as to why the passengers were removed.