On Thursday, August 6, 2026, Porter Airlines cancelled a flight from Victoria International Airport to Toronto Pearson International Airport after a toddler passenger refused to remain seated and buckled during taxiing.
Incident Sequence and Aircraft Return to Gate
The flight had departed the gate and was taxiing when a flight attendant observed the child standing on their seat, unbuckled. Despite repeated attempts by both cabin crew and the child’s parent to secure the toddler, the child remained unrestrained. Unable to comply with federal safety regulations requiring all passengers to be buckled before takeoff, the crew decided to return the aircraft to the gate. The child and parent
disembarked around 11:30 p.m., after passengers had waited onboard for close to an hour.
Impact of Victoria International Airport Curfew
Victoria International Airport enforces a strict overnight curfew, forbidding departures after 12:30 a.m. The time spent resolving the seatbelt issue caused the flight to miss this curfew. As a result, the flight was cancelled for the night, leaving passengers stranded at Victoria. Travellers had to find overnight accommodations independently, unable to continue to Toronto as originally scheduled.
Passenger Response and Airline Communication
Passengers criticized Porter Airlines for the extended delay and poor communication during and after the incident. One passenger highlighted the long wait before the child disembarked and expressed concern
over the airline’s handling of the situation. Questions were raised regarding compensation for unexpected expenses incurred due to the cancellation.
Porter Airlines’ Official Response
Porter Airlines confirmed the toddler’s refusal to remain properly seated constituted a safety issue necessitating the flight cancellation. The airline apologized to affected passengers and stated that cabin crew followed standard safety protocols throughout the event. Porter also reiterated its commitment to federal standards in managing delays and cancellations, which can include provisions such as meal vouchers depending on circumstances.
The cancelled flight, which is one of six weekly flights operated by Porter Airlines between Victoria and Toronto (excluding Saturdays),
departed the following morning approximately twelve hours later than originally planned, safely continuing to Toronto Pearson International Airport.
Aviation Safety Protocols and Operational Constraints
Federal aviation rules mandate that all passengers, regardless of age, must be seated and buckled before takeoff. Incidents involving children refusing seatbelt use present challenges across the airline industry. Airports like Victoria International, which enforce overnight curfews, can escalate such in-cabin delays into flight cancellations if departure times exceed the cutoff, as occurred in this case.
