The organizer of the wild influencer party flight from Montreal to Mexico has apologized after being met with outrage over their flout...
The organizer of the wild influencer party flight from Montreal to Mexico has apologized after being met with outrage over their flouting of COVID rules, and is now begging airlines to get them home.
James Awad , the founder of the 111 Private Club which arranged the party trip, chartered a plane with company Sunwing to get the revelers to Mexico on December 30.
After footage of them drinking, vaping, partying and singing without masks went viral, Sunwing pulled out of the January 5th flight to take them all home.
Now, Awad is trying to convince other airlines to take them all as a group, promising that they will wear their masks and behave appropriately.
In a statement online, he said on Thursday: 'At this time, the 111 private club is working tirelessly to get everyone back home safely as quickly as we can.
'The 111 private club is a dream and a vision that I poured my heart and soul into creating. This was my first travel event. I have significantly learned, and I am still learning from this experience.
James Awad , the founder of the 111 Private Club which arranged the party trip, chartered a plane with company Sunwing to get the revelers to Mexico on December 30
Unmasked revelers were filmed partying on a plane from Montreal to Cancun, sparking a probe by Canadian government
A group of rowdy Quebecois passengers defied numerous aviation rules December 30 while partying maskless on a chartered Sunwing airplane from Montreal to Cancun. One woman even filmed herself vaping while in the air
This man appeared to be enjoying the party vibe - but he and everyone else aboard the flight have had their return trip axed by Sunwing
'Learning from them is what makes the difference,' he said.
Sunwing refused to fly the group home because he said they wouldn't provide a meal.
He maintains that they did nothing wrong on the flight, because the only people on board were in their group and they had all tested negative for COVID before getting on the plane.
Awad however said he understood why people were so angry with the videos, at a time when Omicron has COVID cases soaring.
Change of tune: The top tweet on January 4 shows Awad claiming the group did nothing wrong. Below, his vow to take it more seriously on Wednesday after Sunwing canceled their flight home
'As I thoroughly reviewed the current situation, I understand why many fellow citizens are upset about the current situation.
'As someone who enjoys bringing people together, I committed to hosting a private and safe event in Cancun with my group from the 111 private club,' he said. '
The group even stoked the ire of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who said: 'Like all Canadians who've seen those videos, I'm extremely frustrated.'
'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.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the group's behavior a 'slap in the face'
'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.'
Those on the plane could be in for more than a scolding after the federal government launched an investigation and ministers said passengers could face fines.
In a joint statement, Transport Minister Omar Alghabra, Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, and Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino called the behavior 'unacceptable' and said passengers who broke federal travel regulations could face $5,000 fines per offence.
'Our government takes reported incidents such as these very seriously,' the statement said.
'We have directed our respective departmental officials to immediately launch an investigation into these allegations of non-compliance with COVID-19 and air safety rules and regulations.'
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