Canadian air carrier Porter Airlines was forced to cancel a flight to Toronto when a child refused to secure their seatbelt before takeoff. The incident occurred Thursday, August 6.
On Thursday, Aug. 6, Porter Airlines flight PD444 left the terminal at Victoria International Airport (YYJ) in Canada and was taxiing out to the runway when crew members saw a child “standing in their seat,” the airline is quoted n a statement to PEOPLE magazine.
“After the aircraft left the terminal and proceeded to the runway for departure, a young child was standing in their seat and would not secure their seatbelt. Attempts by the accompanying parent and crew to address this were unsuccessful,” a Porter Airlines spokesperson said.
“The aircraft could not takeoff in this unsafe condition, so the crew elected to return to the terminal and have the passengers disembark,” they continued.
It was time consuming to “bridge the aircraft, deplane the passengers in question, retrieve their baggage, refile flight plans and other paperwork.” This meant that it was too late to depart causing the flight to be canceled, the airline said.
Porter Airlines apologized “for the effect this had on other passengers.”