Porter flight to Canada cancelled after child refuses seatbelt

The aircraft had left the terminal at Victoria International Airport and was heading towards the runway when cabin crew noticed the child standing on the seat and refusing to secure the seatbelt, Porter Airlines said.

The child's parent and cabin crew members tried to secure the seatbelt but were unsuccessful.

“The aircraft could not take off in this unsafe condition,” a Porter Airlines spokesperson told PEOPLE. The crew therefore decided to return to the terminal and have the passengers disembark.

Returning to the terminal triggered a series of procedures, including deboarding the passengers involved, retrieving their baggage and refiling flight plans and other paperwork.

By the time those steps were completed, it was too late for the aircraft to depart.

Porter Airlines said Victoria International Airport's runway closes at 12:30am, meaning flight PD444 had to be cancelled.

Passengers were required to remain in Victoria overnight and were able to depart on another flight on Friday, August 7, the airline confirmed.

Porter Airlines apologised for the disruption and its impact on other passengers.

The family involved has not been publicly identified.

Days earlier, a passenger on a Batik Air flight from Kuala Lumpur to Kochi was allegedly restrained after attempting to open an emergency exit during the aircraft’s final descent, according to investigators.

The incident occurred on August 5. The passenger, identified as 34-year-old Jamshir Athanikkal of Kerala’s Palakkad district, allegedly struck the emergency-exit window and tried to open the door.

Passengers and crew members restrained him until the aircraft landed safely at Cochin International Airport at around 11.30pm.

The two incidents highlight the importance of passengers following cabin crew instructions during take-off and landing, when seatbelts and other safety procedures are particularly critical.