Air Canada says it is investigating an incident last month where a ground crew member was trapped inside the cargo hold of a flight departing Toronto, after video of the event surfaced on social media earlier this month.
The incident occurred on Air Canada Flight AC1502, scheduled to travel from Toronto Pearson Airport to Moncton, N.B., on Dec. 13, 2025.
In a video posted Jan. 3, 2026, by a passenger using the handle @travel.with.stephy, a voice can be heard on the intercom addressing passengers following the aircraft’s return to the gate.
“I’ve never had that in my life… first time, hopefully the last,” the voice said. “That’s the reason we had to go back to the gate and get that person out of the airplane. The good news is that the person is perfectly fine and safe.”
He said paperwork needed to be completed before departure and apologized for the delay, assuring passengers the flight would proceed to Moncton as soon as possible.
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According to the passenger, the aircraft had already begun taxiing when a baggage crew member could be heard yelling for help and banging from underneath the aircraft.
The passenger later wrote that the flight ultimately did not reach Moncton that day and that travellers were informed the delay was considered outside the airline’s control.
In a statement to Global News, Air Canada confirmed the incident, saying the aircraft’s cargo doors were inadvertently closed while a member of the ground crew was inside.
“Upon discovery, the aircraft returned to the gate and the doors were opened,” the airline said. “There were no injuries.”
The video prompted widespread reaction online, with commenters expressing concern over ground-handling safety procedures and questioning how such an incident could occur.
One commenter who claimed to work as ground crew wrote under the post, “I used to be a baggage guy, this is scary.”
The incident is currently under investigation.
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
