Porter Airlines canceled Flight PD444 from Victoria International Airport (YYJ) to Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) on August 6, 2026, after a toddler on board repeatedly refused to stay seated and buckled for takeoff. The cancellation forced passengers to remain overnight in Victoria, delaying the flight by approximately twelve hours.
Toddler Refusal as Cause of Cancellation
The flight had already departed the gate around 10:30 p.m. Pacific time and was taxiing toward the runway when cabin crew spotted the child standing on their seat without a secured seatbelt, violating federal aviation safety requirements. Despite repeated efforts by the crew and the child’s parent to seat and
fasten the child’s seatbelt, compliance was not achieved. Due to safety regulations, the aircraft could not proceed.
Porter Airlines spokesperson Brad Cicero stated, “The aircraft could not take off in this unsafe condition, so the crew elected to return to the terminal and have the passengers disembark.” The child and parent left the plane around 11:30 p.m. after nearly an hour delay on the taxiway.
Cancellation due to Airport Curfew and Overnight Stranding
The delay caused the aircraft to exceed Victoria International Airport’s strict overnight curfew of 12:30 a.m., prohibiting any further departures until the following day. As a result, Flight PD444 was canceled for the evening. The
flight service resumed approximately at 1:00 p.m. the next day.
Victoria International enforces the curfew to minimize noise disturbance to local communities. The timing of the delay left no available window for same-night departure following the safety-related return to the gate.
Passenger Impact and Airline Response
Passengers scheduled on Flight PD444 were stranded overnight in Victoria and required rebooking to the next day’s departure. Only PorterReserve passengers seated in the first four rows received meal vouchers, as their fare includes complimentary meals. Other travellers were required to arrange their own overnight accommodations.
Passenger Hillary Hertzberg criticized Porter Airlines for insufficient communication and the lack of
clear compensation offers following the cancellation. The airline did not confirm any compensation beyond meal vouchers and rebooking.
Porter Airlines apologised for the disruption, emphasizing that safety protocols necessitated the cancellation. Spokesperson Brad Cicero affirmed that the crew followed established procedures to ensure passenger safety.
Regulatory and Industry Context
Federal aviation regulations mandate all passengers, regardless of age, must remain seated with fastened seatbelts during takeoff. Incidents of young children refusing to comply pose operational and safety challenges industry-wide.
Gabor Lukacs, president of the advocacy group Air Passenger Rights, commented, “I don’t think the public hears me very frequently defending the airline, but it’s
one of the cases where I have to say it’s absolutely out of the carrier’s control.” He noted that under current Canadian regulations, passengers are not entitled to additional compensation for cancellations outside airline control, such as this safety-related event.
Airports with nighttime curfews, like Victoria International, limit the ability of airlines to accommodate unforeseen delays. These restrictions can convert minor delays into full cancellations when curfew times are exceeded.
The disruption was isolated to Flight PD444 and did not affect other Porter Airlines services. The airline operates six weekly flights along the Victoria to Toronto route, excluding Saturdays.
