by Donald Wood
Last updated: 11:00 AM ET, Fri September 11, 2020
A dispute over a child wearing a mask on a plane caused an airline to cancel a flight in Canada this week.
According to CBC.ca, Safwan Choudhry and his family boarded a WestJet flight from Calgary to Toronto early Tuesday when he was confronted by the cabin crew about his child being required to wear a mask.
Choudhry was on the plane with his wife and two children, a three-year-old daughter and a 19-month-old daughter. WestJet claims he was asked repeatedly to make sure his older child was wearing a mask, as the Canadian government requires all passengers two and older to wear facial coverings.
Choudhry disputes the claims, though, saying flight attendants were complaining about his younger daughter not wearing a mask, since his three-year-old actually wore her facial covering.
Due to the family refusing to put a mask on one of their children and then denying requests to leave the plane, the "crew felt uncomfortable to operate and the flight was subsequently canceled," according to a WestJet spokesperson.
WestJet officials also told CBC News the family had been flying with the airline using employee travel passes and would no longer be able to board the carrier's flights. In addition, the employee who provided them with the benefits also lost travel privileges.
The airline issued an apology to the other passengers, saying it was "disappointed this issue ended ultimately in a flight cancellation for all guests on board."
Last month, WestJet announced a zero-tolerance mask policy that went into effect on September 1. Any passengers who violate the rules face consequences, including being offloaded from a flight and a one-year ban.
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