Archive · 11 Aug 2026
Porter Airlines Flight PD444 Cancelled After Child Refuses Seatbelt
A plane ride in Canada was cancelled because of a little kid who did not want to wear a seatbelt.
The plane was supposed to fly from Victoria to Toronto.
The kid would not sit still with the seatbelt on, and even tried to hide under a seat.
The kid's grown-up and the flight helpers tried very hard to buckle the seatbelt, but they could not.
Flying without a seatbelt is not safe, so the pilot drove the plane back to the airport.
The crew asked the kid and their grown-up to get off the plane with their bags.
By the time everything was done, it was past 12:30 at night, when the runway closes.
So the plane could not fly that night and the trip was cancelled.
Everyone stayed in Victoria and got new flights the next day.
Some people were upset with the grown-up, but others said the kid was just scared.
Porter Airlines flight PD444, bound from Victoria to Toronto, was cancelled on August 6 after a young child refused to wear a seatbelt.
Reports differ on the details: one says the child was found standing on a seat without a seatbelt, while another says the toddler hid under a seat as the aircraft prepared for take-off.
Attempts by the accompanying parent and cabin crew to secure the seatbelt were unsuccessful, and a Porter Airlines spokesperson said the aircraft could not safely take off with the child unsecured.
The crew returned the aircraft to the terminal and removed the parent, child, and their baggage, including a stroller; the flight then missed Victoria airport's 12:30 a.m. runway curfew due to baggage retrieval and paperwork.
Passengers spent the night in Victoria and were rebooked for the following day; reactions were mixed, with some criticizing the parent while passenger Aryeh Kozuch said the child appeared frightened.
- Who
- A young child aboard Porter Airlines flight PD444 who refused to wear a seatbelt, the accompanying parent, and Porter Airlines cabin crew
- What
- The flight was cancelled after the child refused to wear a seatbelt; the crew returned the aircraft to the terminal and removed the parent and child
- When
- August 6, with proceedings extending past the airport's 12:30 a.m. runway curfew
- Where
- Victoria International Airport in British Columbia, Canada, on a flight bound for Toronto
- Why
- The aircraft could not safely take off with the child unsecured after attempts by the parent and crew to fasten the seatbelt were unsuccessful
Sympathy for the Child
Criticism of the Parent
Reactions to the seatbelt incident
Sympathy for the Child
Passenger Aryeh Kozuch said the child appeared frightened and terrified, hiding under the seat in distress rather than misbehaving, and urged people to consider the child's feelings.
Criticism of the Parent
Some passengers and online users criticized the parent, holding them responsible for the disruption that led to the flight's cancellation.
- Airline
- Porter Airlines
- Flight Number
- PD444
- Route
- Victoria to Toronto
- Airport
- Victoria International Airport, British Columbia, Canada
- Date of Incident
- August 6
- Reason for Cancellation
- Child refused to wear a seatbelt; aircraft could not take off in unsafe condition
- Runway Curfew
- 12:30 a.m. local time
- Outcome for Passengers
- Spent the night in Victoria; rebooked for the following day
