US passenger requests asylum aboard Air Canada Phoenix-Montreal flight

An Air Canada flight from Phoenix to Montreal continued to its destination after a passenger asked for asylum while the aircraft was in the air, according to flight communications cited in accounts of the event.

The woman, a U.S. citizen, was seated in Row 14 on flight AC1730. Crew members said she was behaving unusually and told them she was taking medication for mental health conditions. She then handed flight attendants handwritten notes asking for asylum in Canada. The flight deck passed the matter to ground operations and told air traffic control the passenger was calm, seated and not a threat to the aircraft or those on board. The pilots chose not to divert and continued to Montreal.

The aircraft, an Airbus A319 registered C-FYJE, landed normally at Montreal-Trudeau International Airport, roughly four hours after leaving Phoenix. Authorities and border security officers met the flight on arrival to assist the woman and process the asylum request under Canadian immigration procedures.