A 14-year-old girl found herself unexpectedly removed from a Porter Airlines flight and left to fend for herself at Toronto Pearson International Airport.
On only her second solo flight, Camryn Larkan was seated on a plane bound for Victoria when her trip took an alarming detour. “I was kind of just like really confused,” Camryn recounted to CBC. “I thought I was coming back to my seat.” Little did she know, the airline had other plans.The crew of Porter Airlines requested that Camryn get off the plane. The decision was explained as a “weight and balance issue.” The teenager’s confusion quickly turned to anxiety as she watched the plane’s door close, leaving her stranded at the airport.
What Happened After The Airline Kicked The Teen Off The Flight?
“As soon as I got off the plane and I saw that the door had closed, that’s when I started to like get really anxious,” Camryn shared. Fortunately, Camryn’s father was still nearby and could return to the airport to collect his daughter. “I’m just glad that my dad was there because if he wasn’t, I would have been alone,” Camryn said.
Reportedly, Porter Airlines offers an “unaccompanied minor service” for travelers aged 8 to 17, which provides dedicated supervision and exemption from involuntary deplaning. However, this service comes with an additional $100 fee and is only mandatory for children aged 8 to 11. Camryn’s mother, Catherine Larkan, was unaware of this service and expressed her outrage at the airline’s handling of the situation.
Porter Airlines has since responded to the incident, with spokesperson Robyn van Teunenbroek telling CBC, “It was not known to our team at the time that Camryn was a minor.” The airline claims that passengers were selected based on their fare type when no volunteers came forward to be rebooked. This explanation has done little to quell the concerns of parents. Catherine Larkan argues that it’s “absolutely ludicrous” for the airline to treat a 14-year-old as an independent adult traveler without proper safeguards in place.
