Two Research In Motion executives were so drunk on a recent Air Canada flight that the airline was forced to make an emergency landing to remove the men from the plane. The pair, George Campbell and Paul Alexander, were ordered to pay a total of $71,757 in restitution fees, The Record reported on Friday. The two men were apparently so drunk that the crew on the flight from Vancouver to Beijing needed to handcuff them to their seats before the plane was forced to make an unscheduled landing back in Vancouver. Read on for more.
UPDATE: RIM confirmed in a statement on Monday that the two men have been fired. “RIM does not condone behavior that conflicts with applicable laws and employees are expected to act, at all times, with integrity and respect,” A RIM spokesperson said. “The individuals involved in this incident are no longer employed by RIM.”
“Based on the limited information available at this time, RIM has suspended the individuals involved pending further investigation,” RIM spokeswoman Marissa Conway said in a statement.
One of the arresting officers said the incident stands out because the plane had to divert so far off of its flight path. “They were far too intoxicated and were just being unruly. The flight crew was asking them to smarten up, but they weren’t listening to anything they were being told,” Corporal Sherrdean Turley said.
The two RIM employees have been banned from flying on Air Canada during a probation period. The flight they were on was forced to switch crews airline regulations, and it landed in Beijing 18 hours behind schedule.
