Entire flight cancelled after child refused to wear seatbelt

A Porter Airlines flight was cancelled after a child refused to wear a seatbelt for takeoff, with the aircraft removed from the runway. The incident occurred on an August 6 departure from Victoria to Toronto, Canada. According to an airline spokesperson, a young child was standing in their seat and would not secure the belt. Crew and the accompanying family attempted to resolve it, but Porter said the attempts were unsuccessful. The plane could not depart before the runway closed at midnight, so passengers were rebooked onto another aircraft. The carrier said the aircraft could not take off in an unsafe condition and the crew elected to return to the terminal for two passengers to disembark. The BBC and CBC quoted aviation and media commentary noting the risk of unrestrained children during flight phases.