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| Air Canada 737 Max 8 Photo Air Canada |
Earlier this week Air Canada extended its contingency plan to cover for the lack of Boeing 737 Max operations to last until the end of June.
With no end in sight of the grounding, the premier Canadian airline anticipates it will cover 98% of previously planned flying for May through a series of mitigation measures, schedule changes and temporary route suspensions. The airline has dropped the Max from its schedules until the end of June, yet there is no guarantee the aircraft will be declared airworthy even then.
"Air Canada assures its customers that we are doing everything possible to mitigate the effects of the 737 MAX grounding, and we appreciate our customers' patience and flexibility as we continue to work on transporting them safely to their destinations. By adjusting our schedule for the month of May, we are providing certainty for our customers so they can continue to book and travel with confidence on Air Canada," said Lucie Guillemette, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Air Canada.
In compliance with the safety notice issued by Transport Canada on March 13, 2019, Air Canada grounded its fleet of 24 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. Boeing has advised that deliveries of its 737 MAX are currently suspended. Air Canada was expecting six new aircraft in March and April.
Air Canada is now updating its June schedule to optimize its fleet and re-accommodate customers. Because the timeline for the return to service of the 737 MAX is unknown, for planning purposes and to provide customers certainty for booking and travel, Air Canada has removed 737 MAX flying from its schedule until at least July 1, 2019. Final decisions on returning the 737 MAX to service will be based on Air Canada's safety assessment following the lifting of government safety notices and approval by international regulatory authorities.
Among the measures taken by Air Canada:
Mitigations
To mitigate the impact, Air Canada has been substituting different aircraft on 737 MAX routes. This includes flying routes with similar-sized or larger aircraft. To help provide this replacement flying, the carrier has extended leases for aircraft which were scheduled to exit the fleet. Air Canada is also accelerating the in-take of recently acquired Airbus A321 aircraft from WOW Air into its fleet.
Working with our Partner Airlines
The carrier has worked with other carriers to provide immediate extra capacity and provide alternative options to passengers. For example, its Montreal-Frankfurt flight for the month of May will be operated by Star Alliance partner Lufthansa.
Schedule Changes until June 30
The airline has implemented a number of route changes to date, either changing operating times or substituting larger aircraft with fewer frequencies on routes operated more frequently by smaller aircraft. For example, beginning in May two daily flights between Toronto and Calgary have been consolidated onto one larger Airbus A330, leaving nine daily flights.
In some cases, seasonal route launches have been delayed. This includes: Toronto-Portland, which will now start July 1 instead of May 24; Vancouver-Boston, which will now start June 16 instead of June 1; and Calgary-Halifax, which will now start July 1 instead of May 18. The seasonal start of the carrier's Toronto-Shannon route and new Montreal-Bordeaux service will both be delayed until early July.
In addition, selected frequencies on domestic routes such as Toronto-Edmonton, will be served by Air Canada Rouge aircraft.
Route Suspensions
In a small number of cases, Air Canada has temporarily suspended service on certain 737 MAX routes where alternative aircraft are not presently available. This includes flights from Halifax and St. John's to London Heathrow, for which it is re-accommodating customers over its Toronto and Montreal hubs. These routes are now suspended to May 31, but Air Canada remains committed to these routes.
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| Photo Air Canada |
