20.01.2021 - 22:44 UTC
Transport Canada has issued an Airworthiness Directive ungrounding the B737-8 but subject to design and software changes that go beyond those the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has mandated.
On January 18, 2021, the Canadian regulator said that it would require operators to install new software for the Flight Control Computer to address issues related to the Maneuvering Augmentation Characteristics System (MCAS), revise the MAX Display System (MDS) software to ensure that the AOA DISAGREE alert is available as a standard configuration; add coloured caps on circuit breakers for the stick shaker; and reroute wiring for the horizontal stabilizer trim system.
Compared to the US directive, Transport Canada has also required new procedures for disabling the stick shaker warnings when activated erroneously.
The Ministry of Transport simultaneously issued an Interim Order mandating new training procedures for pilots flying the B737 MAX. A Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) prohibiting the operation of B737 MAX in Canadian aerospace will be lifted effective from midnight, January 21, 2021.
Following the lifting of the NOTAM, US-based carriers will also be...
19.01.2021 - 06:45 UTC
SpiceJet (SG, Delhi Int'l) is hoping to recertify its B737-8 aircraft and resume the type's operations by the end of the first quarter of 2021, sources told CNBC-TV18 broadcaster.
The Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has yet to issue any official guidance on the recertification of the Boeing narrowbodies currently in the country. According to sources, the Indian regulator is waiting for the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to issue final clearance rather than rely on the US Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) November directive.
That said, EASA is expected to greenlight the B737 MAX in its jurisdiction shortly. The European regulator published a draft directive recertifying the type in late November, mostly following steps taken by the FAA. Once the European regulator clears the MAX, the DGCA plans to conduct its own safety checks.
To alleviate the regulator's concerns on pilot training, Boeing last year set up a B737 MAX simulator at CAE's facility near New Delhi.
SpiceJet has thirteen grounded B737-8s. It also has an additional 129...
12.01.2021 - 18:20 UTC
WestJet (WS, Calgary) has announced it will further prune its network to about 80% of last year's level, including a 93% reduction in international operations, in response to what it termed the "hasty" introduction of new testing requirements by the Canadian government.
The airline said that in tandem with the network cuts, around 1,000 staff members will be stood down through a combination of furloughs, temporary layoffs, unpaid leaves and reduced hours. It will also freeze hiring.
"Immediately following the federal government's inbound testing announcement on December 31, and with the continuation of the 14-day quarantine, we saw significant reductions in new bookings and unprecedented cancellations. The entire travel industry and its customers are again on the receiving end of incoherent and inconsistent government policy," President and Chief Executive Ed Sims said.
The airline was responding to the new PCR testing requirement announced by the government on January 3 and in force since January 7. The new rule requires all passengers arriving in Canada to have a negative PCR test taken less than 72...
08.01.2021 - 05:58 UTC
WestJet (WS, Calgary) has joined the list of airlines announcing firm B737 MAX service resumption plans, with the type's first flights slated for January 21, 2021.
"While we don't have final confirmation on when Transport Canada will open Canadian airspace to the B737 MAX aircraft, in the interest of transparency we are sharing our intent to fly once this confirmation is received... The deliberate, detailed and independent scrutiny applied by Transport Canada's National Aircraft Certification team, which prescribed additional requirements to pilot procedures and training, provides further confidence in the aircraft and its safe return," President and Chief Executive Ed Sims said.
The airline plans to initially operate proving flights starting in mid-January 2021. As of January 21, it plans to deploy its B737-8s 3x weekly between Toronto Pearson and Calgary. WestJet said that this minimal schedule would remain in place for the first four weeks as it evaluates "further routes and additional frequencies". Passengers will still have access to multiple alternative flights as WestJet serves the Toronto-Calgary route up to 6x...
