Porter Airlines cancelled a flight departing Victoria for Toronto on 6 August after a child on board refused to fasten their seatbelt, according to statements from the airline. The child was observed standing in their seat as the aircraft prepared for departure. Crew members and the accompanying parent made multiple attempts to secure the passenger in their seat, but these efforts were unsuccessful.
Airline spokesperson Brad Cicero stated that the crew determined the plane could not safely take off under the circumstances and returned to the terminal. The child and their parent were asked to disembark. Because removing only these two passengers and completing the necessary paperwork would have extended operations beyond the airport’s 12:30am closing time, all passengers were required to leave the aircraft. The airline offered passengers rebooking on an alternate flight the following day and expressed regret over the disruption caused.
Passenger Aryeh Kozuch characterized the incident differently from some public commentary, noting the child was not behaving rudely but rather appeared frightened and attempted to hide beneath the seat. He described the situation as a child experiencing distress in an enclosed space with many people nearby, rather than demonstrating deliberately disruptive behavior. Another passenger, Hillary Hertzberg, suggested the airline could have resolved the matter more quickly, noting the aircraft remained on the tarmac for nearly an hour before the child departed at 11:30pm.
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