Porter Airlines Flight Canceled After Child Refuses Seatbelt, Misses Runway Closure

In a statement issued on August 9, Porter Airlines confirmed that one of its flights from British Columbia to Toronto last Thursday was canceled after a child passenger refused to take a seat and fasten a seatbelt. The flight taxied back to the terminal at Victoria International Airport before takeoff, and ultimately missed its scheduled departure window, rendering the flight impossible to operate. The airline said that on the day of the incident, the child's parents and crew members made multiple attempts to help the child fasten the seatbelt, but all were unsuccessful. To ensure flight safety, the crew decided to return the aircraft to the terminal and asked the child and parents to disembark with their luggage.

Because the removal of the passengers and their luggage took a considerable amount of time, the aircraft missed the airport's runway closure time of 12:30 a. m. local time, forcing all remaining passengers to disembark. Porter Airlines apologized to affected passengers and rebooked them on a flight the following day. The airline did not disclose the specific flight number or the total number of passengers, but stressed that the incident was an isolated case and that the relevant procedures were carried out in accordance with safety regulations.