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An Air Canada Rouge flight from Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) to Greater Moncton Roméo LeBlanc International Airport (YQM) could have turned serious on December 13th after a baggage handler became trapped inside the aircraft’s cargo hold. Flight AC 1502 (operated by an Airbus A321) was already facing significant delays before the alarming discovery was made by passengers.
The flight was scheduled to depart Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) at 2:00 PM and arrive at Greater Moncton Roméo LeBlanc International Airport (YQM) at 5:03 PM. Departure had already slipped roughly five hours behind schedule when the aircraft pushed back and began taxiing. Suddenly, passengers reported hearing loud banging and screaming coming from below. Some travelers notified the cabin crew and others reportedly dialed emergency services.
The aircraft returned to the gate and ground personnel opened the cargo hold. A baggage handler was found trapped inside. The individual had apparently been sealed in the compartment before departure preparations were completed. Although cargo holds are pressurized, temperatures can drop sharply in flight and pose serious health risks. The situation was resolved without injury and the handler was safely removed.
The disruption for the passengers, however, was far from over. A crew change delayed the flight by another hour. This was followed by a mechanical issue that forced passengers to wait even longer. Shortly after midnight, a replacement aircraft was assigned, but the flight ended up being canceled after 1:00 AM anyway. I’d be convinced the flight was cursed and would be looking for another one after all of those issues.
Anthony’s Take: This incident highlights a major lapse in safety procedures designed to ensure ground staff are clear of aircraft before doors are sealed. While rare, such errors carry significant safety risks to the baggage handler inside. Thankfully, nothing bad happened here.
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
