'It Took Forever': Canada Flight Cancelled After Child Refuses To Sit Down and Fasten Seatbelt

A Porter Airlines flight in Canada was cancelled on Thursday night after a young child refused to sit down and fasten their seatbelt, forcing the aircraft back to the gate at Victoria International Airport in British Columbia. The Toronto-bound service, Porter flight PD444, never made it to the runway after crew said the child was 'standing in their seat' and could not be secured for take‑off. Under Canadian aviation rules, everyone must be seated with their belt secured during taxi, take‑off and landing, with no exception allowing a child to remain unrestrained in the cabin.

The flight had already left the terminal and was taxiing when the problem escalated. Both a parent and cabin crew tried repeatedly to get the child into their seat with a fastened belt, but every attempt failed. The child reportedly kept hiding under the seat and would slide out if forced into the harness.

Child's Refusal To Fasten Seatbelt Grounds Porter Flight

Porter Airlines said in a statement that the child was 'standing in their seat and would not secure their seatbelt', and that 'attempts by the accompanying parent and crew to address the child were unsuccessful'. The captain turned the jet back toward the terminal so the parent and child could be removed, along with their checked luggage. Once back at the gate, the aircraft had to be bridged, the family escorted off, their bags located and offloaded, and fresh paperwork and flight plans filed, with remaining passengers also told to disembark while this took place.

By the time the process was completed, the flight had run out of time. Victoria International Airport's runway closes at 12.30am under a scheduled airfield closure, an airport spokesperson confirmed. Porter said the delay meant it was too late to depart, so the flight was cancelled and eventually left the following day, with passengers rebooked on a later departure.

It is not known how old the child was, or how many people were on board the 132‑seat aircraft. Aviation safety experts say airline crews have no discretion on seatbelt rules during taxi, take‑off and landing, and the regulation applies regardless of age or circumstance. This leaves carriers with no option to depart once a captain determines those rules cannot be met.

Passengers Recall Nightmare Delay After Cancellation

Passengers who spoke to broadcasters described a long, confusing wait. One traveller, Aryeh Kozuch, said there was 'a lot of frustration' in the cabin but did not believe the child was misbehaving deliberately. 'They just kept hiding under their seat. If they got forced into being strapped in, they just kind of slid out underneath,' he said.

Another passenger, Hillary Hertzberg, focused her frustration on how long the process took, saying 'it took forever' for the family to be removed and for the airline to confirm the flight would not be leaving. She said the child finally left the aircraft at around 11.30pm, almost an hour after passengers first boarded. Hertzberg said some passengers were left scrambling to find hotel rooms near the airport at short notice, and argued that Porter should cover the costs incurred as a result of the cancellation.

Porter has not confirmed whether it will pay compensation or reimburse out‑of‑pocket expenses, beyond apologising for 'the effect this had on other passengers'. The case involved aviation safety rules that apply in the same way even in difficult situations with young children. The incident highlights the tension between rigid safety regulation and unpredictable human behaviour, with the cost of compliance falling on everyone except the source of the disruption.