Porter Airlines flight PD444from Victoria to Toronto was cancelled on 6 August after a child could not be secured in their seat before take-off, ultimately causing the flight to miss Victoria Airport’s operating deadline.
The Embraer E195-E2 aircraft with tail number C-GKQO had begun taxiing when the child was observed standing on their seat. Despite repeated attempts by the accompanying parent and cabin crew, the child would not remain seated with the seatbelt fastened. Porter said the aircraft could not legally and safely take off under those conditions and returned to the terminal.
The child and accompanying adult were eventually removed from the aircraft. However, the time required to resolve the situation and complete the necessary paperwork meant the flight could no longer depart before Victoria Airport’s 00:30 closure, forcing Porter to cancel the service.
Passengers were subsequently rebooked on a flight the following day.
One passenger defended the family, saying the child appeared frightened rather than disruptive, repeatedly trying to hide underneath the seat and slipping out of the seatbelt when attempts were made to secure them.
Other passengers criticised the amount of time taken to resolve the situation. Porter apologised for the disruption but stressed that all passengers must be seated and properly restrained before an aircraft can take off.