Flight canceled when young child standing in seat refuses to put on seat belt for takeoff

VICTORIA, British Columbia (Gray News) - A flight had to be canceled after a young child stayed standing in their seat and refused to put on a seat belt, Canadian airline officials say.

A spokesperson for Porter Airlines says a Thursday flight from British Columbia’s Victoria International Airport did not take off at 11:03 p.m. Pacific as scheduled as a safety precaution, CBC Toronto reports.

The plane left the terminal and was headed to the runway, but a young child standing in their seat would not put on their seat belt, the spokesperson said. The child’s parents and the cabin crew tried unsuccessfully to buckle the child in.

The plane could not take off with the child unbuckled for safety reasons.

The plane ended up returning to the terminal, where crews had to bring a pedestrian bridge to the plane, remove the child and their parents, get their bags and re-file paperwork. By the time that was all done, it was past 12:30 a.m., which is when the airport’s runway closes for the night, according to CTV News.

Porter Airlines apologized “for the effect this had on other passengers.”

After a night spent in Victoria, the other passengers were able to fly out Friday.