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

The Porter Airlines flight had departed from the terminal at Victoria International Airport in British Columbia and was taxiing towards the runway when the incident occurred.

According to the airline, the child’s parent and cabin crew repeatedly attempted to secure the child in their seat, but were unsuccessful.

The aircraft was forced to return to the gate, where the parent and child were removed along with their luggage.

The remaining passengers also had to disembark while the airline refiled the flight plan and completed other necessary paperwork.

The delays pushed the Toronto-bound flight beyond the runway’s 12:30 a.m. closure time, leaving passengers stranded in British Columbia overnight.

In a statement, Porter Airlines said the young child had been “standing in their seat”, creating an unsafe situation that prevented the aircraft from taking off.

The child’s age and the number of passengers aboard the 132-seat aircraft at the time remain unclear.

The airline apologised to passengers affected by the disruption on Thursday and confirmed that they were rebooked onto another flight the following day.