Flight cancelled as child refuses to sit down and fasten seatbelt

A flight in Canada has been cancelled after a child refused to sit down and fasten their seatbelt.

The Porter Airlines service had left the terminal at Victoria International Airport in British Columbia and was heading for the runway.

According to the airline, a parent and cabin crew had repeatedly tried to secure the child in their seat to no success.

The plane was forced to return to the gate so the parent and child could be removed along with their luggage.

Remaining passengers also had to disembark while flight plans were refiled and other paperwork was completed.

However, this delayed the Toronto-bound flight beyond the runway's closure time at 12.30am, leaving passengers stranded in British Columbia for the night.

In a statement, Porter Airlines said the young child had been "standing in their seat" - creating unsafe conditions for take-off.

It is unclear how old the child was, nor how many passengers were on board the 132-seat plane at the time.

The airline apologised to the passengers who were inconvenienced on Thursday - and confirmed they were rebooked on a different flight the following day.

Passengers on board the service told Canadian broadcaster CBC that there was "a lot of frustration".

One of them, Aryeh Kozuch, said the child wasn't being bratty or uncomfortable, but was scared.

He said: "They just kept hiding under their seat. If they got forced into being strapped in, they just kind of slid out underneath."

Another passenger, Hillary Hertzberg, said "it took forever" for the parent and child to disembark, and criticised the airline's communication after the flight was cancelled.

Some were left scrambling to try and find a room at a nearby hotel, and now want the airline to offer compensation for their expenses.

(c) Sky News 2026: Flight cancelled as child refuses to sit down and fasten seatbelt