6 WestJet passengers injured after flight diverted to Winnipeg due to threat
Six passengers were injured after a WestJet flight from Edmonton to Toronto was diverted to Winnipeg on Monday night due to an unspecified threat.
The airline says the passengers from Flight 442 were injured during the emergency evacuation from the aircraft, which landed at Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson Airport at about 8:40 p.m. CT Monday.
In a statement issued late Monday night, WestJet said the crew decided to use the emergency evacuation slides to get everyone off the plane as quickly as possible.
“Initial reports indicate six guests received non-life threatening injuries during the evacuation and were treated by emergency response officials on the ground,” the airline said.
“A number were taken to hospital for further treatment, accompanied by members of WestJet’s Special Assistance Team.”
A number of fire trucks, ambulances and police vehicles were seen on the tarmac after the plane landed in Winnipeg.
A spokesperson for the Winnipeg Airports Authority told CBC News that passengers were being interviewed by police on Monday night.
WestJet says 54 passengers and five crew members were on board the diverted flight, which was a Boeing 737-700 aircraft.
All passengers are staying in Winnipeg overnight and will be continuing their journey to Toronto on Tuesday morning.
The passengers are expected to arrive in Toronto by 2 p.m. ET, according to the airline.
Neither WestJet nor the Winnipeg Airports Authority has specified what the threat was. The airport spokesperson could not say whether the threat was on board the aircraft.
It’s not the first time a WestJet flight has been diverted in recent days.
On Saturday, Flight 391 from Halifax to Edmonton landed in Saskatoon after airport staff in Kincardine, Ont., received a threatening call saying a bomb was on board the aircraft.