A 14-year-old girl booked on a flight with Porter Airlines was removed due to a weight imbalance, as the airline did not realize she was an unaccompanied minor. The girl was not properly informed why she and other passengers were being deplaned and had to catch another flight 24 hours later.

Porter Airlines removed traveling minor from flight

According to a report by CBC, Camryn Larkan, 14, was flying alone for just the second time on a Porter Airlines domestic flight from Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) to Victoria International Airport (YYJ) on August 30th and had boarded the aircraft as normal. However, having taken her seat, a flight attendant approached the unaccompanied minor and asked her to collect her bags and get off the plane.

Porter Airlines Embraer E195-E2

Photo: Sockagphoto | Shutterstock

Camryn initially believed that the airline wanted to take her bags – perhaps to check them into the hold – but was dismayed when the aircraft doors were closed after she disembarked. Camryn would later learn that she and other passengers had been deplaned because of a “weight and balance issue.”

Related

Have You Ever Flown As An Unaccompanied Minor?

Flying is generally an exciting experience regardless of your age, but, for younger passengers, the phenomenon of taking to the skies holds that little bit extra magic to it. For most people, childhood flying is done as part of trips away with one’s family or school, but, in some instances, circumstances mean that children have to fly alone.

Given the complicated nature of commercial air travel, the safeguarding issues present, and the curious nature of the young mind, it is important that strict protocols are followed when this happens. Therefore, in order to enable this, various airlines around the world have drawn up unaccompanied minor schemes that allow such journeys to take place.

For the most part, this involves a chaperone at the young passenger’s arrival and departure airports, to ensure that they have the help they need at every step of the journey. However, some airlines go the extra mile, with Emirates, for example, having opened a dedicate

Fortunately, Camryn’s father, who had dropped her off at the airport, was able to pick her up again, as her new flight was scheduled to depart 24 hours later. Camryn said,

“I’m just glad that my dad was there because if he wasn’t, I would have been alone.”

Her mother, Catharine Larkan, condemned the airline for failing to offer her daughter sufficient support or information after removing her from the flight.

Porter responds

The airline has released a statement on the incident, claiming it was unaware that Larkan was an unaccompanied minor. Porter Airlines spokesperson Robyn van Teunenbroek said,

“Our team asked for volunteers to travel the following day to Victoria. When none came forward, passengers were selected based on their fare type. It was not known to our team at the time that Camryn was a minor.”

As for the criticism that it did not offer the girl enough support after she was deplaned, the airline said that “Camryn quickly left the airport,” meaning there was “limited opportunity” for its team to discuss travel options with her.

Porter Airlines Embraer E-195-E2

Photo: Porter Airlines

The carrier also added that it offers an unaccompanied minor service at a cost of $100 per passenger. The service – which provides dedicated supervision by Porter Airlines staff – is mandatory for passengers aged 8 to 11, but voluntary for those aged 12 to 17. Porter’s policy states that unaccompanied minors aged 12 and up who do not purchase this service will be treated as “independent adults” – the Larkans said they were unaware that Porter offered such a service, and want the carrier to change its policy so that supervision is mandatory for all unaccompanied minors.

Porter’s customer relations team is now corresponding with the Larkans, while the airline said it is looking at ways to prevent such an incident from happening again. From time to time, airlines need to deplane passengers to correct weight imbalances or overbooked flights – ordinarily, they will offer financial compensation to willing volunteers, and will only involuntarily deplane passengers if volunteers are not forthcoming.

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