Porter Airlines Flight Canceled After Toddler Refuses to Wear Seatbelt

A Porter Airlines flight from Victoria, Canada, to Toronto was canceled after a toddler reportedly refused to remain secured in their seat before takeoff, forcing the aircraft to return to the terminal.

Flight PD444 had already left the terminal at Victoria International Airport on Thursday, August 6, and was preparing to head for the runway when crew members noticed the child standing in their seat, according to Canadian media reports.

The airline said the toddler would not have their seatbelt secured, leaving the crew with no choice but to return the aircraft to the terminal.

“A young child was standing in their seat and would not secure their seatbelt,” Porter Airlines said in a statement. “The aircraft could not take off in this unsafe condition, so the crew elected to return to the terminal and have the passengers disembark.”

The family was removed from the aircraft while the required paperwork was completed. However, the process took long enough for the flight to miss the airport’s 12:30 a.m. runway closure, resulting in the cancellation of the service.

Porter Airlines apologised to other passengers for the disruption and arranged for the flight to be rescheduled.

The family involved has not been identified publicly.

Flight-tracking data showed that the rescheduled service eventually left Victoria on Friday night and arrived in Toronto early Saturday morning.