Child Refuses to Wear Seat Belt, Entire Flight Cancelled After Plane Returns to Terminal

A Porter Airlines flight in Canada was cancelled after a young child repeatedly refused to remain seated and fasten a seat belt, forcing the aircraft to return to the terminal.

According to the Toronto-based airline, the incident occurred on a flight departing Victoria International Airport in British Columbia for Toronto.

The airline said the child repeatedly stood up in the seat and refused to buckle the seat belt despite repeated attempts by both the accompanying parent and cabin crew to resolve the situation.

In a statement, Porter Airlines said:

“The child was standing in their seat and would not secure their seat-belt. Attempts by the accompanying parent and crew to address this were unsuccessful.”

As a result, the aircraft returned to the terminal, where the parent and child, along with their baggage, were removed from the flight.

The delay caused the Toronto-bound flight to miss the airport's 12:30 a.m. runway closure, making it impossible for the journey to continue that night.

All remaining passengers were required to disembark, and the airline later apologised for the disruption before rebooking everyone on a replacement flight the following day.

According to FlightAware data, the replacement flight departed Victoria at 10:49 p.m. local time on Friday and arrived in Toronto at 6:16 a.m. local time on Saturday.

The incident has since sparked widespread reactions online, with many social media users debating airline safety rules, parental responsibility, and the challenges of travelling with young children.