A group of influencers who filmed themselves drinking, smoking and partying on a chartered flight from Canada to Mexico have earned the Internet’s ire. The maskless influencers were met with outrage for flouting Covid rules amid rising cases of the Omicron variant. After footage of the influencers went viral on social media, several airlines refused to fly them back from Cancun – and adding insult to injury, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau called them “idiots” in a press conference on Wednesday, reports USA Today.
The party trip was organised by James Awad , the founder of the 111 Private Club, who flew the group to Mexico on December 30 on a chartered Sunwing flight. After footage of the influencers partying inside the plane was met with huge public backlash, Sunwing cancelled their January 5 flight back home, according to the Daily Mail. Air Transat and Air Canada have also refused to fly them back as a group, citing safety concerns.
In one video which went viral on social media, a bottle of vodka is seen being passed around. In another, a woman appears to be smoking an electronic cigarette mid-air.
Canada prime minister Justin Trudeau addressed the controversy in a press conference on Wednesday, branding the influencers as “idiots” and describing the party as a “slap in the face” at a time when everyone else was following Covid guidelines.
“Like all Canadians who’ve seen those videos, I’m extremely frustrated,” Mr Trudeau said. “We know how hard people have worked to keep themselves safe, to limit their family gatherings at Christmastime, to wear masks, to get vaccinated, to do all the right things. It’s a slap in the face to see people putting themselves, putting their fellow citizens, putting airline workers at risk by being completely irresponsible.”
