A Porter Airlines flight in Canada was cancelled last week after a young child refused to sit down and buckle up, forcing the plane back to the terminal. The incident occurred on a flight bound for Toronto from Victoria International Airport in British Columbia.
Incident Details
The Toronto-based airline said on Monday that the parent and crew repeatedly tried unsuccessfully to secure the child in the seat before returning the plane to the terminal to remove the parent and child. The child, whose age was not known, was 'standing in their seat and would not secure their seat-belt', according to Porter. 'Attempts by the accompanying parent and crew to address this were unsuccessful,' the airline added.
Impact on Passengers
Porter said removing the parent and child and their baggage delayed the Toronto-bound flight on Thursday past the airport's 12:30 a.m. runway closure, forcing the remaining passengers to disembark. The airline apologised to the other passengers, who were rebooked on a flight the following day.
Replacement Flight
According to data from Flight Aware, the new flight left Victoria Airport at 10:49 p.m. local time on Friday and arrived in Toronto at 6:16 a.m. local time on Saturday morning. The cancellation and rescheduling caused significant inconvenience for travellers, highlighting the strict safety protocols in place for child passengers.
