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Mystery cell phone diverts Air Canada flight to Regina International Airport

By CJME News Sep 23, 2015 | 9:53 AM

It was an unscheduled stop in Regina for an Air Canada flight from Edmonton bound for Toronto Wednesday morning.

Regina Airport Authority President and CEO Dick Graham said they had to enact their emergency response procedure after the plane was diverted at around 9:25 a.m. Fire and police were called.

“We were able to respond quickly, ensure that the pilot held on a taxi-way off our apron,” he said.

Passengers on board the flight told News Talk Radio that the pilot had told them the unexpected detour was because of a mystery cell phone.

They were told that baggage handlers in Edmonton had found a phone on a stroller before takeoff. While the stroller was put in the luggage compartment, handlers gave the phone to the flight attendants assuming it belonged to the owner of the stroller. During the first hour of the flight passengers were asked if it was indeed theirs.

However, nobody on board claimed ownership, including the owner of the stroller.   

The passenger said, out of an abundance of caution, the decision was made to land in Regina.

Shortly after landing, she explained how the pilot advised them that police and the bomb team spent time “clearing the phone”. Passengers were later updated that the phone was confirmed to have belonged to an employee at the Edmonton International Airport.

After refuelling, the plane resumed its course around 11 a.m.

While all of this was going on outside, there were no major disruptions to those inside the airport explained Graham, adding it was business as usual.

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