Local man charged after alleged altercation on Air Canada flight

Budapest-bound plane returns to Toronto after flight attendant hurt

The daughter of a Hamilton man accused of endangering an aircraft while in flight and aggravated assault says she can’t make sense of it all.

“I don’t know what happened (on the flight). I don’t understand,” said Renata Svab, 32, of Hamilton, audibly upset at the situation.

Her father John Svab, 57, was charged after an Air Canada flight en route to Budapest was flown back to Toronto’s Pearson International Airport early Thursday.

An unruly passenger was allegedly involved in an altercation that left a flight attendant injured.

“He (John Svab) has never had trouble before,” said Renata. “He was excited to see his mom (in Hungary). He has no anger issues.”

Peel regional police said they received a call at 12:32 a.m. for an incident involving a 57-year-old man on board the flight to Budapest.

Const. Bancroft Wright said a passenger became disruptive, but was being controlled by airline staff.

“There was an altercation when he was being controlled,” Wright said.

“During that altercation, one of the stewardesses was injured.”

Wright described the flight attendant’s injury as minor but it required treatment from paramedics at the airport.

Air Canada said the plane was just past Montreal when it had to turn back.

The aircraft was carrying 267 passengers and eight crew members, said Air Canada spokesperson Peter Fitzpatrick.

John Svab, 57, of Hamilton, has been charged with uttering death threats, aggravated assaulted and endangering an aircraft while in flight.

He was expected to appear in court on Thursday.