Air Canada Pulls Boeing 737 Max From Schedule Through Mid-February

Written by Haley Alber

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October 17, 2019

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Air Canada (OTC: ACDVF) on Wednesday said it will scratch the Boeing 737 Max from its flying schedule until February 14, 2020, effectively removing the plane from service for nearly a year after regulatory authorities banned the jet from flying in March.

Air Canada, which has 24 Max jets in its fleet, said the latest extension will give the company “scheduling predictability” as it rolls out its new reservation system.

“We are taking this prudent step as a result of the ongoing regulatory uncertainty about the timing of the aircraft returning to service,” Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer Lucie Guillemette said in a statement.

Air Canada will lease two more wide-body planes at least though March break to compensate for the temporary loss of its Max jets. Boeing’s 737 Max jets make up about 20% of Air Canada’s narrow-body fleet, which would regularly carry over ten thousand travelers per day.

Following government and international regulatory approval, final decisions on returning the Max to service will depend on Air Canada’s independent safety evaluation, the company added.

Transport Canada, along with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), is reviewing Boeing’s software changes to its Manoeuvring Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), the system suspected to have caused two fatal crashes involving the Max.

International regulators will also ensure that pilots are prepared to fly the jet once its cleared. Earlier this month, Reutors said global regulators are looking at “startle factors” that can overwhelm pilots as they consider revised protocols for the Max.