Air Canada passenger injured after opening cabin door before departure, falling out of plane at Pearson

A passenger with Air Canada was injured after he opened the cabin door and fell out of the plane onto Toronto Pearson’s tarmac, delaying the flight, an airline representative said.

A spokesperson said the incident occurred aboard a flight scheduled to depart Toronto Pearson International Airport for Dubai on Monday evening.

The man in question normally boarded the aircraft, a Boeing 777, but instead of going to his seat, he opened the cabin door at the opposite end of the plane.

“The passenger sustained injuries falling to the tarmac with emergency services and the authorities attending,” an Air Canada spokesperson told CityNews.

Peel police confirmed they were called to the scene and determined the man was in a state of crisis when the incident occurred and suffered relatively minor injuries. He was apprehended by police and transported to a local hospital for treatment.

The flight carrying 319 customers from Toronto to Dubai was “subsequently delayed and departed later.”

According to Air Canada’s website, the flight was scheduled to depart Toronto’s gate E74 at 8:35 p.m. ET on Monday but was delayed just under six hours and left at around 3 a.m. ET on Tuesday.

“We can confirm all of our approved boarding and cabin operating procedures were followed; we continue to review the incident,” the Air Canada representative said.

A spokesperson for the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), which operates Pearson, confirmed it was aware of the incident involving the Air Canada flight and was working with officials.

“We learned of an incident on an AC flight during boarding [Monday] evening and worked with the airline, Peel Regional Police and Peel EMS to support and determine the immediate needs,” a Pearson spokesperson told CityNews.