A Porter Airlines flight from Victoria to Toronto was cancelled after a young child refused to wear a seat belt, reigniting debate about how airlines and parents should handle disruptive or frightened children on planes. The flight had to return to the terminal when the child stood up and would not stay secured, and after crew and the parent failed to resolve the issue, the plane missed its departure slot before the runway closed for the night, forcing all passengers to be rebooked for the following day.

Porter Airlines said it could not take off in an "unsafe condition" and chose to disembark the child and accompanying parent, a decision a child aviation safety expert said was necessary to prevent an unrestrained child becoming a "projectile" during turbulence. The episode has split opinion online, with some blaming lax parenting and others noting witness accounts, including one from passenger Aryeh Kozuch, suggesting the child was frightened rather than unruly. It follows similar past incidents on Southwest and JetBlue flights in which families were removed after young children would not comply with crew instructions, prompting renewed scrutiny of how airlines balance safety rules with compassion towards travelling families.