Family Smokes On Plane, Flight Diverted

A family who smoked on plane caused a flight to be diverted Friday night.

Family Smokes On Plane, Flight Diverted To Bermuda

Daryl McWilliams, a spokesman for  Canadian tour operator Sunwing Travel Group, said Monday that the Dominican Republic-bound plane from Halifax was forced to make an emergency landing at the L.F. Wade International Airport in Bermuda on Friday evening because a family openly smoked in their seats and refused to butt out.

"Most people that try to smoke do it surreptitiously, and of course they still get caught," McWilliams said. "From what I understand, these people did it openly, as if in some sort of protest. It makes you scratch your head. Maybe they wanted an Andy Warhol moment. They got it."

On Sunday, the Bermuda Police Service said they arrested a 54-year-old man, a 52-year-old woman and a 22-year-old man after the plane touched down. A 16-year-old boy traveling with them was not smoking and was not arrested. The family was later released on bail.

McWilliams said the plane was carrying 180 passengers and crew members, who were put up in a hotel overnight before their flight was resumed on Saturday afternoon.

He added that the airline spent around $40,000 for the unexpected detour and that it is considering recovering that loss.