A Porter Airlines flight in Canada was forced to return to the terminal last week after a young child reportedly refused to remain seated and fasten their seat belt.
The incident happened at Victoria International Airport in British Columbia on Thursday, when the Toronto-bound flight had to turn back before takeoff. Porter Airlines said the child’s parent and members of the cabin crew made repeated attempts to get the child properly secured, but were unsuccessful.
According to the airline, the child was standing on their seat and would not fasten the seat belt. The child’s exact age was not disclosed.
With the situation unresolved, the aircraft returned to the terminal so the parent and child, along with their luggage, could be removed from the flight.
However, the delay had a knock-on effect for everyone else onboard. By the time the aircraft was ready to depart again, it had missed Victoria International Airport’s 12:30 a.m. runway closure. As a result, the remaining passengers were also required to leave the plane.
Porter Airlines apologised to passengers affected by the disruption and arranged for them to travel on a flight the following day.
Flight tracking data from FlightAware showed that the replacement flight eventually departed Victoria at 10:49 p.m. local time on Friday. It reached Toronto at approximately 6:16 a.m. Saturday morning.
The incident highlights how a seemingly minor issue during boarding or departure can lead to significant delays when an aircraft is operating under strict airport and safety restrictions.
