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A redeye flight from Victoria to Toronto never made it off the ground. Porter Airlines Flight PD444 had already pulled away from the gate and was rolling toward the runway on the night of August 6 when the crew noticed something wrong in the cabin. A toddler was standing on their seat, seatbelt unfastened, and refusing to sit down.
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Crew Spots Standing Toddler as Plane Heads Toward the Runway
Flight PD444 was bound for Toronto Pearson, scheduled to depart Victoria International Airport at 10:30 p.m. According to CBC News, the aircraft had already left the terminal when flight attendants noticed a young child standing upright in their seat, seatbelt undone, as the plane taxied toward takeoff. The aircraft could not legally proceed in that condition.
Parent and Crew Try and Fail to Get Toddler Seated
The child’s parent attempted to get them buckled in. Cabin crew stepped in too. Neither could convince the toddler to sit down or fasten the belt. Airline spokesperson Brad Cicero told CBC Toronto the standoff continued long enough that the flight could not safely continue toward the runway, leaving the crew with one option left to consider.
Porter Calls Condition “Unsafe,” Orders Return to Gate
Porter Airlines issued a statement laying out exactly what forced the decision: “The aircraft couldn’t take off in this unsafe condition, so the crew elected to return to the terminal and have the passenger disembark.” The plane turned back toward the gate, and the family, along with their luggage, was escorted off the aircraft while the rest of the cabin waited.
Offloading the Family Ate Up Precious Minutes Before Midnight
Getting the toddler and parent off the plane wasn’t instant. Bags had to be pulled from the hold, the flight plan had to be refiled, and paperwork had to be redone before the aircraft could try again. Every one of those steps burned time the flight didn’t have, pushing the clock toward a deadline that had nothing to do with the toddler at all.
Victoria Airport’s Midnight Runway Curfew Sealed the Flight’s Fate
By the time Porter’s crew finished the paperwork, it was past 12:30 a.m., and Victoria International Airport enforces a nightly runway closure at midnight, according to CP24. Missing that window meant the plane physically could not depart. Flight PD444 wasn’t delayed anymore. It was canceled outright.
Passengers Stranded Overnight in Victoria After Cancellation
Everyone left on Flight PD444, minus the family responsible for the disruption, suddenly had nowhere to go. The airport’s curfew left Porter no way to get the plane out that night, forcing passengers to find lodging in Victoria and wait for a new flight the next day. Porter apologized “for the effect this had on other passengers.”
Rebooked Flight Departed Nearly 24 Hours Late
Passengers didn’t fly out until Friday night. Flight data from Simple Flying shows the rescheduled service operated as PD1444, departing Victoria the next afternoon and landing in Toronto that evening, hours behind the original overnight schedule. It remains unclear whether the toddler and their parent were rebooked onto the same flight.
Canadian Rules Require Restraints for Children Under Two
Transport Canada mandates that infants under two occupying their own seat use an approved child safety seat or restraint device. Porter strongly recommends restraints for children of all ages during every phase of flight, stating they “provide the highest degree of protection for your infant or child.” The family involved in the Victoria incident has not been publicly identified.
One Toddler’s Refusal Cost an Entire Cabin Their Night
A single unbuckled seatbelt turned into a canceled flight, a missed curfew, and a cabin full of stranded travelers rebooked a day late. Porter followed its own safety protocol to the letter, and the airport’s midnight runway rule left no room for negotiation once the delay stretched past it. The toddler never sat down. The flight never took off.