Air Canada.

Are these 2 of the 763s that are set to retire after this year?

Also no word on YOW-LHR equipment? I suppose it will be the lone trans-atlantic AC route this winter ? (please correct me if I am wrong)

Thanks for the update! Much, and always, appreciated! :cheers:

AC to ground their Max planes until at least July 1.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-...ly-1-1.5062354

That might depend on MAX now :(

As mentioned in the latest new release, some aircraft that was scheduled to retire will stay in the fleet longer. They will also wet-lease from Air Transat for YUL-YVR, and dry(?) lease for YUL-CUN.

AC is now expected the fleet to be grounded at least till July 1st. Schedule update for April-June will happen soon. But these are some of the changes they mentioned or I observed:

Routes suspended until further notice:
YYT-LHR
YHZ-LHR
YVR-KOA
YVR-LIH
YYC-PSP

Conversion to Rouge
YVR-YYZ (AC1584)
YVR-HNL (AC1830)
YVR-OGG (AC1718)

Conversion to Express
YVR-YYC (AC8770/74)

DEL-YYZ will stop at YVR rather than CPH (domestic leg opens for booking??)
DEL-YVR was already back to non-stop.

Maybe I'll scan May's schedule next to see what's changed..

Also:

YYC-OGG now a 763 4x Weekly
YYC-CUN now a 763 3x Weekly

AC has an A333 arriving at YEG tomorrow from HND as AC2314.

Agreed. My point to the op was that the reason BA subbed the leased A340 from Air Belgium was most likely not due to poor performance as was implied. I think both of BAs YYZ-LHR flights do well. Packed both times ive been on them. In fact i think BA subbing the A340 to YYZ could be for some of those same reasons you stated.

There was a little nugget hidden in yesterday's federal budget that will affect Canadian airports: CATSA will be killed and replaced by a new not-for-profit agency, though no one seems to know what it will look like.

https://wp.me/p2cMjz-rH

Sad to see SAT, SAV and JAX being cancelled :(

Any idea why the non stop YYZ-EZE route was discontinued ?
Stopping at SCL adds to the total travel time and I didn't miss it when we went to BA for Christmas.

The non stop isn't profitable in the northern summer season, or at the very least, isn't as profitable as other routes AC can use that frame on, such as to Europe.

Quoting Calin Rovinescu, Air Canada CEO:

Thanks for explanation. Hopefully AC consider bringing it back in the next Northern Hemisphere winter.

Air Canada, WestJet purchased safety option reportedly missing on crashed planes

Ross Marowits, The Canadian Press
Published Thursday, March 21, 2019 1:36PM EDT
Last Updated Thursday, March 21, 2019 2:12PM EDT

TORONTO -- Canada's two largest airlines have at least one of the optional safety features on their Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft that were reportedly lacking on the jets that crashed in Ethiopia and Indonesia.

Air Canada and WestJet Airlines both say they purchased disagree lights used by the aircraft's software system during flight to avert stalls.

The New York Times has reported the Ethiopian Airlines and Lion Air jets involved in recent fatal crashes were not equipped with angle of attack indicators and disagree lights.

...

https://www.ctvnews.ca/business/air-...anes-1.4346085

Boeing is planning on offering the disagree light as a standard feature from now on.

AC already has both the AOA indicator and the disagree light. (AC is also the first airline in the world to have 2 HUDs in the cockpit of a Max. Most airlines carry a HUD in the 737 on the captains' side only.)
WS only has the light.
AA has both.
Southwest had the light, and as of Lion air, is installing the AOA indicator on its Max planes as well.
UA has neither.
Norwegian has neither.

Are these items that can be installed on currently owned aircraft that don’t currently have them already, and will they be mandatory or remain optional?

AC 737MAX mid/long-hual changes so far (from mix of both schedule and booking):

YVR-HNL convert to Rouge 767 till June 30
YVR-OGG convert to Rouge 767 till June 30
YYZ-KEF no change so far
YUL-KEF no change so far
YYZ-SNN cancelled till June 30
YUL-BOD cancelled till June 30
YYT-LHR cancelled till May 31
YHZ-LHR cancelled till May 31
YUL-PTP convert to Rouge 319 till June 30
YUL-FDF convert to Rouge 319 till June 30
YYC-CUN swap to mainline 319 till June 30
YYZ-AUA swap to mainline 320 till June 30

Both can be retrofitted. As far as I know, only the disagree light will become standard. In the next few weeks, could very well be that the FAA demands that the AOA indicator become standard as well. Boeing might do it on its own as well.

We'll see how it plays out.

AC no longer has ETOPS (Extended operations) certified A319/A320s (mainline or Rouge). Nor are the pilots on these frames ETOPS certified.

Definition of ETOPS: (for twin-engine planes) flights whose planned routing contains a point farther than 60 minutes flying time from an adequate airport at an approved one-engine inoperative cruise speed under standard conditions in still air.

This creates a problem for 737 Max routes that required ETOPS. All the cancelled flights on your list require ETOPS to operate, and are either too thin to operate with a B767 (which is also ETOPS certified), or there aren't any spare left. This is the same reason why all the YVR-Secondary Hawaii routes were the first to be cancelled as well.

YUL/YYZ-KEF doesn't require ETOPS, as you can be within 60 minutes of a suitable airport on one engine speed during the whole flight.

(The AC 737 Max is certified 180 min ETOPS. The mainline A319s were only 120 min certified, and some mainline A320s were 75 min, for smoother Eastern Caribbean ops. YVR-Hawaii requires 180 minute ETOPS, whereas Europe only requires 120 min.)

Now, all these 180 min certified ETOPS 737 pilots are sitting at home, doing nothing, and getting paid.......

What a clusterf**k for AC. But I have to admit, they are dealing with it admirably.

The only YYZ TATL route that might really take a hit is SNN, as KEF can be done with other equipment, though it's yet to be seen what they do. AC is currently selling SNN across EWR with a connection on UA. Partners working together on this one to cover the downtime, not a bad way to do it.

This is what I was wondering about. WestJet can get by as (I think) as they only operate the 737. Short term AC eats the salaries of their MAX pilots who are now sitting at home. If this goes on longer term then it will get interesting as this is not a great situation for them financially.