MONTREAL — A Quebec man was charged Friday in connection with an incident on a Sunwing Airlines flight bound for Cuba that was forced to return to Montreal under a fighter jet escort.
Charalabos Nassios was arraigned by videoconference in a Montreal courtroom on charges that included assault, uttering threats and committing an act of violence against a person that is likely to endanger the safety of an aircraft.
The Crown objected to his release and the 39-year-old is scheduled to appear in court Monday for a bail hearing.
Nassios lives in Laval, just north of Montreal.
He was also charged with breaking a court-imposed condition not to drink alcohol or have alcoholic beverages in his possession.
An airline spokeswoman said flight WG604, which had departed for Cayo Coco on Thursday, turned around due to a passenger making threats.
NORAD spokesman Lt. Commander Joe Nawrocki said a pair of U.S. Air Force F-15 jets were dispatched from Barnes Air National Guard Base in Massachusetts and intercepted the aircraft near Albany, N.Y.
Canadian CF-18s were also reportedly scrambled but did not take part in the operation.
The Canadian Press
