Canadian airlines aren’t doing enough to help customers worried about flying on a type of aircraft that has been grounded around the globe following a deadly crash, according to at least one passenger rights expert.Numerous countries have banned the Boeing 737 Max 8 from their airspace after one of the planes operated by Ethiopian Airlines crashed Sunday minutes after takeoff from Addis Ababa. The disaster killed 157 passengers and crew, and came less than five months after a 737 Max operated by Indonesia’s Lion Air plunged into the ocean, killing all 189 people on board. Similarities between the two incidents have stoked concerns about the plane among aviation authorities worldwide. But while China, the United Kingdom, Ireland and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency have suspended flights using the 737 Max, Canada and the United States have not followed suit, and many airlines in those countries are still flying the planes. Air Canada operates 24 of the Boeing 737 Max planes, while WestJet has 13, and Sunwing four. According to a third-party flight tracking site, Air Canada had 49 flights using the 737 Max 8 scheduled on Wednesday, while WestJet had 38.In a statement sent late Tuesday night, Sunwing said that while the Federal Aviation Administration had declared the 737 Max 8 air-worthy, the company had decided to “temporarily suspend” its use of the aircraft due to “evolving commercial reasons unrelated to safety, including airspace restrictions being imposed by some of our partner destinations.” The airline said it was in the process of revising its schedule and hoped to minimize the impact to customers. The planes make up less than 10 per cent of its fleet. Read more: Boeing 737s continue to fly Canadian skies despite being grounded abroad Ottawa considers ‘all potential actions’ as it weighs safety of Boeing 737 Max aircraftOttawa exempts Boeing 737 Max jets from standards meant to minimize passenger in ...
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