A Porter Airlines flight from Victoria to Toronto was cancelled after a young child refused to wear a seat belt.
The flight was preparing to leave on Aug. 6 when the child stood in their seat and would not buckle up. Porter said the parent and crew tried to resolve the situation but were unsuccessful.
The plane returned to the terminal, and the passengers had to leave the aircraft. Because of the delay, the flight could not take off before the runway closed after midnight. Passengers were rebooked for the following day.
Child aviation safety expert Lia Tuso told the BBC that the crew made the right decision. She said an unrestrained child could be thrown around the cabin during turbulence, particularly during takeoff and landing.
The incident has sparked debate online about how airlines should handle children who refuse to follow safety rules. Some people blamed the parents, while others said children can become frightened or anxious when flying.
Passenger Aryeh Kozuch told CBC News that the child did not appear to be disruptive but seemed scared and was hiding under the seat.
The incident has also raised questions about whether an entire flight should be cancelled over one passenger. Similar cases have happened before, including incidents involving Southwest Airlines and JetBlue where families were removed from flights after failing to follow crew instructions.
