Winnipeg man charged after refusing to wear face mask on flight

AWinnipeg man is facing a hefty fine for refusing to wear a mask on a flight the second such incident at Winnipeg's airport in just over a week.

Police were called to the James Richardson Winnipeg International Airport to help deal with an unruly passenger on Monday at about 11:20 a.m., according to a Wednesday RCMP news release.

The 39-year-old man,who was travelling on a flight from Vancouver to Winnipeg, refused to wear a face mask, RCMP said. Masks arerequired on flights inCanadaunder new rules introduced by the federal government in April.

The man is facing a charge of failing to comply with instructions of a flight crew, which carries amaximum fine of $5,000.

On June 14, a60-year-old man from British Columbia was charged with mischief after his flight was diverted to Winnipeg because he refused to follow the crew's directions.

The flight was travelling from Vancouver to Toronto when the passenger lit a cigarette and refused to put it out, according to an RCMP news release from last week.

He also refused to wear his face mask when flight crew asked him to do so. He was charged with several offences, including mischief over $5,000 and failing to follow the instructions of a flight crew.