A Porter Airlines flight scheduled to travel from Victoria to Toronto on 6 August was cancelled after a child aboard the aircraft could not be secured in their seat while the plane was taxiing toward the runway, the airline confirmed.
Porter Airlines cancels Victoria-Toronto flight after child cannot be secured in seat
A Porter Airlines flight scheduled to travel from Victoria to Toronto on 6 August was cancelled after a child aboard the aircraft could not be secured in their seat while the plane was taxiing toward the runway, the airline confirmed.
According to the airline, the child was standing in their chair during taxiing. Attempts by the accompanying parent and crew to seat the child were unsuccessful, leading crew to return to the terminal and remove the child and parent, as the aircraft could not depart under those conditions.
Brad Cicero, a spokesperson for Porter Airlines, told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation that all remaining passengers were also required to disembark. He said the time required to remove only the child and parent and refile paperwork would have caused the aircraft to miss the airport's 12:30am closure.
Cicero said the airline apologised for the disruption and that affected passengers were rebooked on a flight the following day.
Passenger Aryeh Kozuch told the Canadian Press that the child was not behaving in an unruly manner, and that critical comments directed at the parents online did not accurately reflect the situation. Kozuch said the child repeatedly moved under their seat and, when restrained, slid out from the seatbelt.
Another passenger, Hillary Hertzberg, told CBC that the airline's response took an extended period of time, noting that the child left the aircraft at approximately 11:30pm, meaning passengers had been on board for close to an hour by that point.
- The age of the child is not stated
- The total number of passengers affected is not confirmed beyond a reference to approximately 150 people aboard
- The reason the airport closed at 12:30am is not explained
- Whether the family received any compensation or rebooking is not stated
- The cause of the child's distress is not established
- Whether any formal complaint or regulatory review was initiated is not mentioned
- The specific departure time of the rescheduled flight is not provided
Read the original at The Guardian