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Porter Flight to Toronto Canceled After Child Refused to Buckle Seatbelt

The airline said safety rules forced a return to the gate and the required offloading and paperwork pushed the flight past Victoria’s overnight runway closure.

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TOKYO - APRIL 25: A crying baby is carried by Sumo wrestling student during the Crying Sumo competition at Sensoji Temple on April 25, 2010 in Tokyo, Japan. The first baby to cry wins the competition. The ceremony takes place in Japan to wish for the good health of the child as it is said that crying is good for the health of babies. (Photo by Koichi Kamoshida/Getty Images)
A trans-Canadian flight was canceled this week because a toddler decided not to buckle up, causing a headache for passengers and crew members.
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Overview

  • A Porter Airlines flight from Victoria to Toronto was halted when crew spotted a young child standing and refusing to fasten a seatbelt, the carrier said after the incident on Thursday, Aug. 6.
  • Crew and the child’s accompanying parent tried to secure the child but were unsuccessful, so the captain returned the aircraft to the terminal and the family was removed from the flight.
  • Porter said locating and unloading the family’s checked baggage, refiling the flight plan and completing incident paperwork took enough time that the aircraft missed Victoria International Airport’s 12:30 a.m. runway closure and the airline canceled the night’s departure.
  • The cancelled passengers were rebooked and PD444 departed the following day, FlightAware showed, and Porter apologized but the airline and coverage did not report any public identification of the family or regulatory penalties.
  • Transport Canada and Porter emphasize approved child restraints for safety and the incident shows how one unsecured passenger can cascade into an operational cancellation when combined with airport curfews and mandatory procedures.