Parents Furious After 14-Year-Old Is Forcibly Removed From Porter Airlines Trip
The incident involving 14-year-old Camryn Larkan being removed from a Porter Airlines flight has caused significant outrage among her parents and sparked concerns about airline protocols, especially for unaccompanied minors. Here’s a breakdown of what happened and the key issues raised:
The Incident: Forced Off the Flight
Camryn was flying solo from Toronto to Victoria, B.C., after a visit with friends and family. This was only her second time flying alone, making the experience especially unsettling. After boarding the plane and settling into her seat, a flight attendant informed her there was an issue, and she needed to collect her belongings and leave the aircraft.
At first, Camryn was confused, thinking she would return to her seat shortly. However, when the doors of the plane closed behind her, she realized she had been left behind. The aircraft took off without her due to a weight imbalance issue, and she was rebooked on a flight for the next day.Camryn was left alone for the next twenty-four hours until her father, who had dropped her off at the airport, hurried back to get her.
Camryn‘s parents were outraged. They felt that their daughter, a minor traveling alone, had been put in a dangerous situation with minimal information or support from the airline. Her mother, Catherine Larkan, expressed her frustration, saying, “They put my child in imminent danger. It was completely negligent.”
Porter Airlines’ Response: Staff Unaware of Her Age
In response, Porter Airlines said that there was a “weight and balance issue” that led to the evacuation. Nonetheless, the airline asserted that none of their employees knew that Camryn was under 18 years old. According to the airline, passengers were asked to volunteer to take the next flight, and when no one did, passengers were involuntarily selected for offloading based on their fare type.
The airline explained that it offers an Unaccompanied Minor Service for travelers between the ages of 8 and 17. For children aged 8 to 11, this service is mandatory if they are flying alone, but for those between 12 and 17, it is optional. The Larkans were unaware of this service, so they did not opt for it.
Unaccompanied Minor Service: Optional for Older Children
Porter’s policy allows parents to decide whether to pay for the additional Unaccompanied Minor Service for children over the age of 12. The service costs $100 per child and provides dedicated supervision by airline staff, including exemption from involuntary deplaning situations. Without this service, passengers aged 12 and over, like Camryn, are treated as “independent adults” and subjected to adult passenger policies.
According to the Larkans, this policy is deeply flawed. Catherine Larkan emphasized that it is unacceptable for a 14-year-old to be treated as an adult when traveling alone, without any additional safeguards in place. “They’re offering a service that says, ‘We understand these individuals are vulnerable, but if you choose not to pay, you’ll be handled just like any other adult passenger. It’s absolutely ludicrous,” she said.
Airline Experts Weigh In: Notification is Key
Duncan Dee, a former chief operating officer at Air Canada, provided insight into the airline industry’s procedures. Dee explained that airlines occasionally need to offload passengers or cargo to reduce the aircraft’s payload due to factors like flight plans or weather conditions. However, passengers are usually removed only after attempts to find volunteers are exhausted.
Unaccompanied minors are generally protected from being offloaded, Dee said, but this only applies if the airline is informed that the passenger is a minor requiring special attention. In Camryn’s case, since the family did not opt for the unaccompanied minor service, the airline treated her like any other customer. Dee noted that this kind of “breakdown” in the process can happen when the necessary information about a passenger’s age isn’t communicated to the airline.
Calls for Policy Change
The Larkan family is now calling for Porter Airlines to reconsider and revise their policy. Catherine believes that the policy should offer more protection for older minors, even if they haven’t paid for the Unaccompanied Minor Service. She contends that minors between the ages of 12 and 17 are still vulnerable and should not be treated as fully independent adults when flying alone.
Porter Airlines’ Follow-Up and Future Precautions
Porter Airlines has acknowledged the situation and said that their customer relations team is in contact with the Larkans. The airline is also reviewing its processes to reduce the chances of similar incidents happening in the future.
Camryn’s Perspective: Concern for Other Young Travelers
Camryn has spoken out about her experience, hoping that by sharing her story, similar incidents won’t happen to other young travelers. “I’m just glad that I knew how to operate or speak to the people in the airport,” she said, reflecting on how easily the situation could have been worse for someone less familiar with navigating such scenarios. Camryn’s main concern is for younger or less experienced travelers who might not have the same resources or skills to handle being left alone at the airport.
Conclusion: Importance of Clear Communication and Stronger Safeguards
This incident highlights the importance of clear communication between airlines and passengers, particularly when it comes to unaccompanied minors. While Porter Airlines offers services to protect young travelers, the optional nature of these services for older minors and the lack of awareness around them can lead to dangerous situations.
The Larkan family’s experience underscores the need for stronger safeguards for unaccompanied minors, even for those aged 12 and over. As airlines continue to navigate the balance between operational efficiency and passenger safety, stories like Camryn’s serve as a reminder that young travelers need extra protection, regardless of whether they are officially classified as minors by airline policies.
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