Porter Airlines flight PD444 from Victoria International Airport (YYJ) to Toronto was canceled on Thursday, August 6, after a young child refused to comply with the mandatory seatbelt requirement.
The incident occurred after the aircraft had departed the terminal and was preparing for takeoff. Flight crew observed the toddler standing in their seat and refusing to be secured with a seatbelt. Despite attempts by parents and crew members to fasten the child's seatbelt, the efforts were unsuccessful.
According to Porter Airlines representatives, the aircraft could not take off in an unsafe condition. As a result, the crew made the decision to return to the terminal and disembark all passengers.
The delay caused by the incident meant the plane could not depart before the airport's runway closure at 12:30 a.m. Consequently, the flight was rescheduled for the following day, requiring passengers to remain in Victoria overnight.
The rescheduled flight eventually departed at 10:49 a.m. local time on Friday and arrived in Toronto at 6:16 a.m., according to FlightAware data.
Porter Airlines issued an apology to passengers for the disruption and the inconvenience caused by the cancellation. This incident is not the first time a child's behavior has impacted flight schedules. In a separate event last month, a flight to Sweden was delayed by an hour when a 3-year-old child refused to remain seated, leading to the parents and child being deplaned.