Rare footage of Air Canada plane struck by lightning captured

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A rare moment was caught on video earlier this month when an Air Canada plane was struck by lightning while leaving Vancouver International Airport.

The plane, a Boeing 777 bound for London, England, arrived at its destination safely and has resumed service after undergoing an inspection.

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Video of the incident was shared with Global News on March 5.

Commercial transport passenger planes are hit by lightning an average of one or two times a year, according to the National Weather Service.

These type of planes are engineered to feature conductive pathways throughout the structure, enabling them to absorb lightning strikes and channel the currents.

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The most recent incident of a commercial airplane crash in the U.S. caused by lightning dates back to 1967, when a lightning strike led to a devastating explosion of a fuel tank, per Scientific American.

The incident prompted significant advancements in understanding lightning’s impact on aircraft. Nowadays, airplanes undergo a comprehensive series of lightning certification tests to ensure the safety and integrity of their designs.

It’s the latest incident involving the airline that is currently negotiating a new contract with its pilots, who claim their American counterparts earn twice as much flying the same routes. Here’s a look at some other incidents related to Air Canada that caught national and international attention.

Police called in to ‘quell’ agitated passengers

Air Canada ranked last in on-time performance among large airlines in North America in 2023, a situation passengers in Florida recently encountered when their Toronto-bound Air Canada flight was delayed by more than 24 hours.

Passengers gathered at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in February for the 9:15 p.m. scheduled departure of flight AC1029. After experiencing 10 delays and ultimately a cancellation, the passengers had still not departed by 9:15 p.m. the following day, with the airline attributing the cancellation to adverse weather conditions.

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Police were called in to help deal with the agitated crowd, according to Toronto resident Nicholas Bello, who documented the scene on X, formerly Twitter.

“@AirCanada fumbling the ball so badly with Fort Lauderdale flights (Sunday/Monday),” he shared. “Now they brought in cops to try and quell the understandably upset travellers.”

Air Canada faces scrutiny after losing suitcase with cremated remains

The trip of a Brampton, Ont. family to Jamaica last year, intended for the scattering of their late brother’s ashes, was upended when the luggage carrying the ashes never arrived.

Charles Matthews and his family had intended to fulfil Conroy Matthews’ final wish of resting beside their mother in Jamaica, the family told CTV News. Despite their efforts, including multiple contacts with the airport and Air Canada, the suitcase with Conroy’s ashes was never recovered.

Air Canada described the incident as “very unfortunate” but noted a report about the incident was filed three months after it happened, which hindered the airlines ability to locate the bag or offer compensation.

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Air Canada flight lasts seven hours, goes almost nowhere

An Air Canada flight destined for St. John’s from Toronto, which was expected to last three hours, ended up flying for almost seven hours in February and ultimately returned to its point of origin due to inclement weather.

Flight AC698, a Boeing 737 Max 8, made multiple landing attempts at St. John’s while facing strong crosswinds but was forced to return to Toronto, landing over three hours late. Air Canada cited the severe winter weather and the unavailability of safe landing options due to the time of day and conditions at other airports as reasons for returning to Toronto.

The weather conditions also caused numerous other flight delays, diversions and cancellations, as it affected air travel across the region.

Air Canada CEO answers for airline’s ‘shocking’ accessibility services

Michael Rousseau, Air Canada’s CEO, faced scrutiny from a House of Commons committee in February regarding the airline’s accessibility services for Canadians with disabilities.

Instances of negligence highlighted included a passenger injured by a falling lift, the mishandling of Canada’s chief accessibility officer’s wheelchair and a man with cerebral palsy who was forced to drag himself off a plane.

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Rousseau admitted to mistakes and outlined new initiatives aimed at improving accessibility, such as an expedited accessibility scheme and an advisory committee comprising customers with disabilities.

Not that it’s all bad news for Canada’s largest airlines and its passengers.

Last week, the airline announced “significant enhancement” to its inflight dining experience across all cabins, introducing over 100 new rotating seasonal recipes.

Air Canada said the initiative is part of the company’s commitment to improving the customer journey, while supporting Canadian entrepreneurs, chefs and brands. The airline also offers the largest inflight bar selection among North American airlines.

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