MONTREAL –
Canadian air travelers will be largely unaffected by the Boeing 737 Max 9 grounding, but they should still re-examine their itineraries.
Some passengers were able to book on routes affected by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s order grounding the Max 9 after part of the fuselage tore off an Alaska Airlines plane on Friday, leaving a gaping hole in it left behind on the side of the cabin.
Due to the flight ban, tens of thousands of passengers south of the border had to expect flight cancellations, and 171 aircraft were temporarily unable to take off.
No Canadian airline operates the Max 9, but some of the major airlines have partnerships with Alaska Airlines and United Airlines, both of which count narrow-body aircraft in their fleets.
John Gradek, who teaches aviation management at McGill University, says the extent of the ripple effect will depend on whether the problem was a one-off or the result of a systematic error.
The grounding represents another blow to Boeing’s reputation after its 737 Max 8 airliner was grounded for 20 months in 2019 and 2020, costing the U.S. jet maker billions of dollars and raising questions about its reliability.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 8, 2024.
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