By Skies Magazine | January 18, 2021 Estimated reading time 7 minutes, 18 seconds.
Transport Canada on Jan. 20 will lift the existing Notice to Airmen that banned the commercial operation of Boeing 737 Max aircraft in Canadian airspace, after a 22-month validation process following two fatal 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019. The announcement, which allows Canadian-operated Max aircraft to return to service, comes roughly two months after the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rescinded the order that grounded Boeing 737 Max 8 and Max 9 aircraft for 20 months, beginning in March 2019.
On Dec. 17, 2020, Transport Canada aviation safety experts validated the design changes to 737 Max aircraft, which are a requirement for the aircraft’s safe return to service. The validation allowed modifications to begin on Canadian-registered Max planes, but were only the first step towards the aircraft’s return to Canadian airspace.
Now, Transport Canada has issued a Canadian Airworthiness Directive (AD), which clearly outlines the design changes that must be incorporated in Canadian aircraft. As well, the regulator has issued an Interim Order for operators, which mandates the additional training requirements for aircrew.
Transport Canada introduced “unique Canadian measures to further enhance the safety of [737 Max] aircraft,” which differ slightly from those made by the U.S. Namely, Canadian operators must implement additional procedures on the flight deck and pre-flight, as well as differences in training.
“Transport Canada has spent well over 15,000 review hours on the Boeing 737 Max. This review has seen Canada take a significant leadership role in the overall project. . . . It has also resulted in Transport Canada issuing its own unique Airworthiness Directive as opposed to the adoption of the FAA Airworthiness Directive,” the regulator said in a press release.
During its review process of the 737 Max, Transport Canada identified safety issues with the plane’s Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) design, the crew alerting system, the horizontal stabilizer trim wiring, and the Airplane Flight Manual limitations and procedures.
According to the AD, Transport Canada is mandating “the incorporation of a system update to correct the MCAS design issue,” the report reads.
Canadian design changes will also include an enhanced flight deck procedure that provides the option for a pilot-in-command to disable an intrusive warning system (known as the “stick shaker”) when the system has been erroneously activated by a failure in the angle of attack (AOA) sensor system. This feature “has been fully evaluated by Transport Canada’s flight test pilots.” Additionally, a required revision to the Max Display System (MDS) software will ensure the “AOA Disagree” alert is available on aircraft as a standard configuration.
In order for Canadian operators to resume flights with 737 Max aircraft, Transport Canada is requiring “modifications to the aircraft as specified in the Canadian Airworthiness Directive; incorporation of the revised pilot training syllabus into the Transport Canada-approved training program for each Canadian airline; and airlines to conduct maintenance on the aircraft to ensure it will operate safely, given the aircraft have been in storage for some time,” Transport Canada said in a press release.
Currently, there are three Canadian airlines that operate Boeing 737 Max aircraft: Air Canada, WestJet, and Sunwing.
On Jan. 6, WestJet announced its return-to-service plan for its 737 Max fleet, stating its first Max plane will be ready to safely return to service on Jan. 21. This plan was pending Transport Canada’s announcement to reopen Canadian airspace to commercial flights for the Max. The airline decided to make the announcement early to be transparent with passengers, and to share its “intent to fly [the 737 Max] once [Transport Canada] confirmation is received.”
WestJet is planning to operate three roundtrip flights per week with the Max, between Calgary and Toronto. “The schedule will remain in place for four weeks while evaluating further routes and additional frequencies,” WestJet president and CEO, Ed Sims, confirmed.
Canada’s flag carrier, Air Canada, plans to return its Max fleet to service on Feb. 1, as the airline has a larger fleet to prepare and more pilots to train. The airline’s 737 Max will operate select flights between Toronto and the following major cities: Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Edmonton, and Winnipeg.
Sunwing has not yet announced plans to return its 737 Max fleet to commercial service.
Transport Canada said it has “confirmed that Canadian operators are implementing the required measures and will be ready for the return to service of the aircraft in the coming days and weeks. Canadian airline operators have also collaborated in the development of the new training program. In addition, since Transport Canada approved the revised training program for the three Canadian operators on December 21, 2020, these airlines have been actively training their pilots.”
Canada’s new Minister of Transport, Omar Alghabra, added: “Canadians and the airline industry can rest assured that Transport Canada has diligently addressed all safety issues prior to permitting [737 Max] aircraft to return to service in Canadian airspace.”
