Porter Airlines cancelled Flight PD444 bound for Toronto on Thursday, August 6, 2026, after a toddler on board refused to remain seated and buckled during taxiing at Victoria International Airport.
Delay and Airport Curfew
The incident occurred after the aircraft had left the gate and was taxiing toward the runway when cabin crew spotted the child standing on their seat instead of being properly restrained. Despite repeated attempts by crew and the child’s parent to secure the seatbelt, the child remained unbuckled, forcing the aircraft to return to the terminal.
Victoria International Airport enforces an overnight operating curfew at 12:30 a.m. The delay caused
by the protracted effort to remove the child and parent pushed the scheduled departure well past this curfew, preventing the flight from departing that night.
Passenger Impact and Rescheduling
Passengers on Flight PD444 were stranded overnight in Victoria after the cancellation, with the child finally disembarking around 11:30 p.m. following nearly an hour on the plane. The flight later departed approximately twelve hours behind schedule the following morning, causing disruption to travelers expecting same-day arrivals in Toronto.
Porter Airlines operates six weekly flights between Victoria International Airport and Toronto Pearson International Airport, excluding Saturdays, making the cancellation a notable interruption for this route.
Porter Airlines Official Response
A
spokesperson for Porter Airlines confirmed that the child’s refusal to remain seated and buckled was a genuine safety issue that compelled the crew to abort the departure. The airline stated that the cabin crew followed standard safety protocols aligned with federal aviation regulations during the incident.
Porter Airlines expressed regret for the inconvenience caused to passengers and reiterated its commitment to meeting regulatory standards for delays and cancellations necessitated by safety concerns. The airline did not provide information regarding compensation related to this event.
Passenger Criticism
Passenger Hillary Hertzberg reported that the disembarkation process took an extended time, highlighting that travelers were
confined onboard for nearly an hour before the child left the aircraft. Hertzberg also criticized Porter Airlines for inadequate communication following the cancellation, noting that passengers had to arrange their own overnight accommodations in Victoria.
Industry Context
Federal aviation safety mandates require all passengers, regardless of age, to be properly seated and secured before an aircraft’s departure. Incidents involving toddlers who refuse to comply with these regulations pose operational challenges across airlines.
At airports like Victoria International with strict overnight curfews, delays from such onboard issues can lead to cancellations if departure is delayed past the allowed timeframe. No other Porter Airlines
flights were reported to have been affected by this incident.
Porter Airlines maintains a travel alerts page providing updates on operational disruptions, including this flight-specific cancellation.
