Canadian Flight Canceled After Child Refused to Buckle Seatbelt
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Porter Airlines flight from Victoria International Airport (YYJ) to Toronto was canceled on Thursday, August 6, 2026, after a young child refused to sit down and secure their seatbelt.
What Happened
The aircraft had already left the terminal and was taxiing toward the runway when crew members noticed the toddler
standing in their seat and would not buckle up. Despite repeated attempts by both the child’s parent and the cabin crew, the child could not be secured.
Safety concerns led the crew to
return the plane to the terminal to deplane the child and their parent, retrieve their baggage, and refile flight plans. The process took too long, pushing the flight past Victoria’s
12:30 a.m. runway closure.
Impact on Passengers
Because the flight could not depart before the curfew,
all remaining passengers were stranded overnight in Victoria . They were rebooked for a later flight the following day, which departed Friday afternoon and landed in Toronto later that evening.
Airline Response
Porter Airlines issued an apology to affected passengers, explaining that the decision to return to the terminal was made to ensure safety and that the delay was unavoidable due to the airport’s operating hours. The airline confirmed the rescheduled flight operated successfully the next day.