A flight from Victoria, B.C., to Toronto was cancelled Thursday after a parent and cabin crew failed to buckle a child’s seatbelt, leaving the remaining passengers stuck until Friday.
In an email to CTV News, a spokesperson from Porter Airlines explained the plane had closed its doors and left the terminal at Victoria International Airport and was heading for the runway when crew members realized the child was standing in their seat.
The child’s parent and cabin crew members attempted to buckle them in but were ultimately unsuccessful, the airline said.
“A young child was standing in their seat and would not secure their seatbelt,” reads the statement from Porter Airlines.
“The aircraft could not take off in this unsafe condition, so the crew elected to return to the terminal and have the passengers disembark.”
According to the airline, the time it took to get the toddler and their parent off the plane with their bags, refile flight plans, and do other paperwork dragged past 12:30 a.m., which is when YYJ’s runway closes for the night.
This meant passengers of flight PD444 were forced to spend the night in Victoria.
Porter Airlines apologized “for the effect this had on other passengers,” and confirmed they would be able to depart on a flight Friday.
