On August 6, 2026, Porter Airlines cancelled Flight PD444 from Victoria International Airport to Toronto Pearson International Airport after a child passenger refused to remain seated and buckle their seatbelt.
The aircraft had left the gate and was taxiing toward the runway when crew observed the child standing on their seat unsecured. Repeated attempts by cabin crew and the child’s parent to seat and secure the child were unsuccessful. The flight then returned to the gate to allow the child and parent to disembark, delaying the flight.
The child eventually disembarked at around 11:30 p.m., after passengers had been on
the grounded aircraft for close to an hour. The disembarking process extended past Victoria International Airport’s strict curfew of 12:30 a.m., which prohibits departures after that time. As a result, the flight was cancelled for the night.
Passengers were stranded overnight in Victoria and had to independently arrange accommodations. They were rebooked on a flight departing approximately twelve hours later the next morning.
Porter Airlines operates six weekly flights on the Victoria to Toronto route, running daily except Saturday. The airline described the cancellation as a necessary safety precaution due to the child’s refusal to remain seated and buckled, in
line with federal aviation safety rules that require all passengers to be properly restrained before takeoff. The airline stated the crew acted in accordance with standard safety protocols throughout the incident and apologized for the disruption.
Passengers criticized Porter Airlines for poor communication and handling during the incident, particularly after the flight was cancelled. Passenger Hillary Hertzberg stated that the process took an extended time and communication was lacking.
Federal regulations mandate passenger restraints before takeoff. Victoria International Airport enforces a nighttime curfew at 12:30 a.m. to reduce noise. Delays past this curfew necessitate cancellations. Airlines operating under such curfews
face risk of cancellation when delays occur.
This incident was isolated to Flight PD444; no other Porter Airlines flights were affected. Porter Airlines maintains a travel alerts page and confirmed no additional disruptions beyond this cancellation and the delayed departure the next day.
Porter Airlines has not confirmed whether compensation was offered to passengers impacted by the cancellation.
