A toddler's refusal to buckle up forced Porter Airlines flight PD444 to return to the gate, stranding passengers overnight in Victoria. The incident shows strict aviation safety rules for children.
NEWS CORP currently carries an Alpha Score of n/a, giving AlphaScala's model a neutral read on the setup.
A toddler's refusal to buckle up forced Porter Airlines to cancel a flight from Victoria to Toronto, stranding passengers overnight.
Flight PD444 had left the terminal at Victoria International Airport on Thursday evening when crew members saw the child standing in the seat. The parent and cabin crew tried to secure the seatbelt without success, a Porter Airlines spokesperson told CTV News and CP24.
Because the child could not be safely secured, the crew decided the aircraft could not take off. The plane returned to the gate, and all passengers had to disembark.
Removing the toddler and parent along with their luggage, re-filing flight plans, and completing required paperwork took enough time for the airport's nighttime runway closure to become an issue. The process continued past 12:30 a.m., when Victoria International Airport's runway closes for the night, Porter said.
Passengers spent the night in Victoria. Porter apologized and said they could travel the following day.
Flight-tracking site FlightAware showed PD444 finally departed Victoria on Friday at 10:49 p.m. local time and arrived in Toronto at 6:16 a.m. the next day.
The incident shows the strict safety requirements airlines must follow before departure. Transport Canada highly recommends approved child restraint systems for all phases of flight, according to Porter's guidelines. The airline requires an approved car seat for infants under 2 who occupy a seat; for older children, a restraint is optional depending on weight limits. Porter does not allow booster seats because they lack an internal harness. Children in car seats must sit next to a passenger aged 16 or older and cannot occupy an emergency exit row.
Porter allows passengers to check car seats at no additional charge. The airline does not provide car seats or child restraint devices.
Drafted by a large language model from the source reporting linked above, then screened by automated publishing checks. It is not read by a journalist before publication. Some articles cite our Alpha Score. Verify prices and figures against the original source. Educational coverage, not personalized advice.