An Air Canada flight from Toronto to Dubai was delayed after a passenger opened an exit door and subsequently fell onto the apron.

The aircraft was still parked at the gate and awaiting departure when the incident took place.

Mishap During Boarding

Air Canada Flight 56 is a daily service between Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) and Dubai International Airport (DXB). The flight is operated by a Boeing 777-300ER and on the day of the incident, aircraft C-FIUV was scheduled for operation.

On Monday, January 8th, 2024, Flight 56 was boarding as normal for an on-time departure to Dubai. Air Canada says there were 319 passengers booked on the flight that evening.

However, one passenger, who boarded the aircraft normally, reportedly went to open an exit door instead of proceeding to their seat.

Aircraft are normally boarded from the left side. The Boeing 777-300ER usually boards using the first two exit doors, L1 and L2.  It is unclear at the moment which door the passenger opened, but it can be assumed to be door R2, directly parallel to L2 where most passengers board through.

According to a spokesperson from the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), Air Canada, Peel Regional Police, and Peel EMS were all working together to address the incident. Investigation from the police revealed that the individual involved in this incident was "in a state of crisis...and suffered relatively minor injuries" from the fall.

Police say the individual was apprehended by officers and brought to a local hospital to receive necessary treatment. The individual had non-life-threatening injuries.

The Aftermath

Air Canada continues to investigate the incident. It is unknown if the individual involved in opening the door was traveling with anyone else. The airline shared that all necessary cabin procedures were followed. However, it remains unclear how no one stopped the passenger from opening the exit door.

Flight 56 departed six hours late that night: instead of its 9:35 p.m. scheduled departure, it departed just before 3:30 a.m., arriving in Dubai just before 1:30 a.m. Interestingly enough, Flight 56 has suffered extensive delays, even after this incident. The following day, it departed at 7:00 a.m. the next day after incurring a nearly 10-hour delay. The cause of that delay has not been specified.