Flair Airlines passenger recounts botched landing in Region of Waterloo
Commercial flights in and out of Region of Waterloo International Airport were cancelled Friday after a Flair Airlines plane carrying 140 people overran the runway during landing.
A spokesperson for Flair Airlines says flight F8 501 from Vancouver to Kitchener-Waterloo “exited the runway at the end of its landing.”
According to a flight tracker, the plane landed around 6:25 a.m.
The airline says there were no injuries reported, and passengers were taken to the terminal by bus.
There were 134 passengers and six crew members on board the Boeing 737.
The Transportation Safety Board (TSB) has been deployed to investigate.
'OOPS, WE MISSED THE RUNWAY'
One of those passengers, Kitchener resident Paul Anstett, says he was taking the red-eye flight home after being in Vancouver for business.
Anstett says he was looking out the window of the aircraft and noticed something felt different when it was time to land.
Passengers of Flair Airlines flight F8 501 disembark onto grass after a botched landing at Region of Waterloo International Airport on Nov. 25, 2022. (Amanda Ramnarine/Submitted)
“The plane was dancing on the runway a bit. It was moving side to side,” he told CTV News.
Anstett says even though the landing felt “a little bouncy” most passengers around him seemed calm and there was no screaming or panic inside the cabin.
“Oops, we missed the runway,” Anstett said. "I looked at the person next to me, and I said, ‘we’re in the grass.’”
He says he is relieved the field where they landed was level and is grateful no one was injured.
As of noon Friday, the plane remains on the grass at the airport. (Submitted/Lou Ferrigno)
According to Anstett, passengers were able to take their personal carry-on luggage from inside the cabin, but checked luggage was not unloaded from the plane.
“So, they’re either going to be delivering [it], or we’ve got to go pick it up,” he said.
Anstett, who says he travels out west a few times a year, said the experience won’t deter him from flying with Flair Airlines again. But he joked that there are some things the upstart budget airline could improve upon.
“I just received a text message from Flair asking me ‘how was my Flair experience today’ and I kind of laughed at that. I am probably going to respond and say the experience was fine but it might be nice if I was brought to the terminal instead of the field next time,” he said.
Investigators with the Transportation Safety Board arrived at the airport around 9:30 a.m.
At this point it remains unclear what caused the plane to leave the runway.
The Region of Waterloo International Airport was closed to commercial traffic for the rest of the day Friday. Other Flair Airlines flights arriving and departing from YKF, as well as two West Jet flights, were cancelled.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
23 vehicles towed, dozens of tickets issued as rally marks one-year anniversary of 'Freedom Convoy' in Ottawa
OPS and Ottawa Bylaw officers issued 192 parking tickets and 67 Provincial Offences Notices in downtown Ottawa this weekend, as people gathered marked the one-year anniversary of the 'Freedom Convoy'.

'COVID is not done,' Canadian infectious disease expert says ahead of WHO announcement
While RSV and flu cases steadily decline in Canada, the World Health Organization is set to announce on Monday whether it still considers COVID-19 a global health emergency, but one infectious disease specialist says we still need to keep an eye on the coronavirus.
YouTube star MrBeast helps 1,000 blind people see again by sponsoring cataract surgeries
YouTube superstar MrBeast is making the world clearer -- for at least 1,000 people. The content creator's latest stunt is paying for cataract removal for 1,000 people who were blind or near-blind but could not afford the surgery.
Former Mississauga, Ont. mayor Hazel McCallion dies at 101
Former Mississauga, Ont. mayor Hazel McCallion, nicknamed 'Hurricane Hazel,' has died. She was 101 years old. Premier Doug Ford said McCallion died peacefully at her home early Sunday morning.
'24,' 'Runaways' actor Annie Wersching has died at 45
Actor Annie Wersching, best known for playing FBI agent Renee Walker in the series '24' and providing the voice for Tess in the video game 'The Last of Us' has died. She was 45.
Ukrainian kids find cellphone signal on hill, set up makeshift school
On a bleak, windswept hillside in northeast Ukraine, three young boys recently discovered a cell phone signal, something difficult to find in their region since Russia invaded their country. and they've set up a makeshift school around the signal.
Russian teen faces years in jail over social media post criticizing war in Ukraine
A Russian teenager must wear an ankle bracelet while she is under house arrest after she was charged over social media posts that authorities say discredit the Russian army and justify terrorism.
Father pushing Manitoba to follow Ontario, Saskatchewan in screening for CMV
Roughly one in 200 babies born in Canada today will have congenital cytomegalovirus, a virus that can lead to hearing loss, intellectual disability or vision loss. But with only two provinces screening newborns for CMV, one father is asking other health-care systems to do more.
Emotional prayer room ceremony marks 6th anniversary of Quebec mosque shooting
An emotional ceremony took place today marking the sixth anniversary of the Quebec City mosque shooting, held for the first time in the same room where many of the victims were killed. Six men died that night: Mamadou Tanou Barry, Ibrahima Barry, Khaled Belkacemi, Abdelkrim Hassane, Azzeddine Soufiane and Aboubaker Thabti were gunned down not long after evening prayers at the suburban Quebec City mosque.