NO-GO

Toddler’s Onboard Tantrum Forces Flight Cancellation

One child’s refusal to sit down was enough to derail everyone’s travel plans.

A flight was canceled after a child refused to sit down and buckle their seatbelt, leaving passengers stranded until the following day. Porter Airlines Flight PD444 had already left the terminal at Victoria International Airport and was heading toward the runway for its flight to Toronto when crew members noticed the child standing on their seat. “A young child was standing in their seat and would not secure their seatbelt,” a Porter Airlines spokesperson told CTV News. The child’s parent and cabin crew repeatedly tried to buckle the youngster in but were unsuccessful. The pilots returned to the terminal, and passengers were told to disembark. “The aircraft could not take off in this unsafe condition,” the airline said in explaining the decision. But by the time the child and parent were removed, their bags unloaded and new flight plans completed, it was already after 12:30 a.m, when Victoria’s runway closes for the night. The delay thus forced the remaining passengers to spend the night in Victoria before departing Friday. The airline apologized “for the effect this had on other passengers.”