Air Canada Responds to Transport Canada’s Closure of Canadian Airspace to the Boeing 737 MAX Aircraft

If you booked through a Travel Agency, please call them for immediate assistance

In compliance with Transport Canada's safety notice closing Canadian airspace to Boeing 737 MAX aircraft operations, Air Canada has grounded its 24 737 MAX aircraft until further notice.

Air Canada has updated its schedule to further optimize its fleet and re-accommodate customers. Given the uncertainty about the timing of regulatory approvals for the return to service of the Boeing 737 MAX, we are removing the Boeing 737 MAX from our schedule to June 30, 2020 and will continue to update plans as required.

As changes are finalized in our flight schedule, customers whose flight times or flight numbers have changed can expect to receive an email detailing their updated itinerary. This information is also available under the My Bookings tab on our homepage, or by tapping the “Trips” button on the Air Canada App.  If you need to contact us about your re-scheduled flights, please call our dedicated Boeing 737 MAX number: 1-833-354-5963.

If you purchased your ticket with Aeroplan or Air Canada Vacations or your travel agent, please contact them directly.

Some questions you may have are below with our answers, but if you can't find what you need, reach out to us anytime at 1-888-247-2262 (our regular Air Canada Reservations number), or on Facebook or Twitter.


Questions and Answers

About our Efforts to Assist Our Customers

What is Air Canada doing to reschedule customers?

We have adjusted our schedule until April, by optimizing the deployment of the rest of our fleet and accommodating customers on other airlines. Here is a summary of our schedule changes:


Route Route Changes

Edmonton (YEG) to Las Vegas (LAS)

Temporary route suspension January 10 – April 30, 2020

Edmonton (YEG) to Saskatoon (YXE)

Temporary route suspension February 1 – 29, 2020

Halifax (YHZ) to London-Heathrow (LHR)

Temporary route suspension until April 1, 2020

St. John's (YYT) to London-Heathrow (LHR)

Temporary route suspension until April 1, 2020

Toronto (YYZ) to London-Heathrow (LHR)

AC868 temporarily removed from the schedule between February 3rd and April 30th. Three to four flights per day continue to operate for this period.

Toronto (YYZ) to Vancouver (YVR)

Select flights now operated by Air Canada Rouge

Toronto (YYZ) to Calgary (YYC)

Select flights now operated by Air Canada Rouge

Toronto (YYZ) to Edmonton (YEG)

Select flights now operated by Air Canada Rouge

Toronto (YYZ) to Fort McMurray (YMM)

Temporary route suspension January 11 – April 30, 2020

Toronto (YYZ) to Regina (YQR)

Select flights now operated by Air Canada Rouge

Toronto (YYZ) to Saskatoon (YXE)

Select flights now operated by Air Canada Rouge

Toronto (YYZ) to St. John's (YYT)

Select flights now operated by Air Canada Rouge

Montreal (YUL) to Cancun (CUN)

One of two daily flights now operated by Air Transat A330-200 until April 30

Montreal (YUL) to Calgary (YYC)

Select flights now operated by Air Canada Rouge

Montreal (YUL) to Edmonton (YEG)

Select flights now operated by Air Canada Rouge

Montreal (YUL) to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico (PVR)

Flights operated by Air Transat A330-200 until April 26, 2020

Montreal (YUL) to San Jose, Costa Rica (SJO)

Flights operated by Air Transat A330-200 until April 30, 2020

Montreal (YUL) to Vancouver (YVR)

Select flights now operated by Air Canada Rouge

Vancouver (YVR) to Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW)

Temporary route suspension February 1 – 29, 2020

Vancouver (YVR) to Honolulu (HNL)

Flights operated by Omni Air International Boeing 767-200ER until April 30, 2020

Vancouver (YVR) to Kahului, Hawaii (OGG)

Flights operated by Omni Air International Boeing 767-200ER until April 30, 2020

Vancouver (YVR) to Kona, Hawaii (KOA)

Reduced from five to two weekly now with Air Canada Rouge Boeing 767-300ER

Vancouver (YVR) to Lihue, Hawaii (LIH)

Seasonal route suspended for Winter 2019/2020

Vancouver (YVR) to Phoenix (PHX)

Flights now operated by Omni Air International Boeing 767-200ER until April 30, 2020

Vancouver (YVR) to Cancun, Mexico (CUN)

Reduced from daily flights to three flights weekly now with Air Canada Rouge Boeing 767-300ER

Calgary (YYC) to Kahului, Hawaii (OGG)

Flights now operated with Boeing 767-300ER and Airbus A330 aircraft

What should I do right now?

As changes are finalized in our flight schedule, customers whose flight times or flight numbers have changed can expect to receive an email detailing their updated itinerary. This information is also available under the My Bookings tab on our homepage, or by tapping the “Trips” button on the Air Canada App. If you need to contact us about your re-scheduled flights, please call our dedicated Boeing 737 MAX number: 1-833-354-5963.

I’ve been moved from an Air Canada to an Air Canada Rouge flight. What do I need to know?

As we continue to adjust our schedule to accommodate our customers, certain flights will now be operated by Air Canada Rouge aircraft.

 

If you have been moved from an Air Canada to Air Canada Rouge flight, here’s what you need to know.

About your Ticket

  • You have the option to rebook on another flight. All change fees and charges will be waived provided:
    • the origin, destination and cabin you originally selected remain the same and
    • you rebook your flight within 90 days of your original departure date.
  • You may cancel your flight without penalty for a full refund.
  • To rebook or cancel your flight, please contact our dedicated Boeing 737 Max phone number at (1-833-354-5963. If you purchased your ticket with AeroplanAir Canada Vacations, or through a travel agent, please contact them directly.

On Board

  • As the Rouge cabin is not equipped with individual in-flight entertainment screens, Economy Class customers will be offered a promotion code* for 15% off a future booking (issued within 30 days of travel).
  • Customers seated in Premium Rouge will be provided with complimentary Rouge Player iPads to enjoy during the flight.

I’ve been rebooked on an Omni Air International flight. What do I need to know?

If you’ve received an email from us advising you that you’ve been rebooked on an Omni Air International flight, we’ve prepared detailed information with everything you need to know.

Omni Air International Flights Between Vancouver and Hawaii

I’ve been rebooked on an Air Transat flight. What do I need to know?

If you’ve received an email from us advising you that you’ve been rebooked on an Air Transat flight, we’ve prepared detailed information with everything you need to know.

Air Transat Flights

I was scheduled to fly on a Boeing 737 MAX. Does that mean my flight is cancelled?

In many cases, we have substituted other aircraft, and your flight will operate as scheduled with another aircraft. As changes are finalized in our flight schedule, customers whose flight times or flight numbers have changed can expect to receive an email detailing their updated itinerary. This information is also available under “Manage my Bookings” tab on aircanada.com or tap the Trips button on the Air Canada App.

We advise you to check the status of your flight before going to the airport.

How will I know if my flight is cancelled or delayed?

If your flight is delayed or cancelled, we will contact you via the email address or phone number you provided when you booked your flight. Please make sure the correct contact information is on your booking. If you need to add your contact information to your booking, call us at 1-888-247-2262.

And you can always reach out to our social media teams on Facebook or Twitter, or call your travel agent.

We also advise you to check the status of your flight before going to the airport.

Can I change my reservation to fly on a different aircraft?

We have complied with Transport Canada's safety notice closing Canadian airspace to Boeing 737 MAX aircraft operations so, until further notice, your flight will not be operated by the Boeing 737 MAX.

If you would like to know what type of aircraft you are flying on, simply:

  1. Retrieve your booking from the My Bookings tab on aircanada.com or tap the “Trips” button on the air Canada App, then
  2. Click on the 'Details' link in the Flight Details section:

Will Air Canada cover my out-of-pocket expenses such as additional accommodation costs that I may incur as a result of these disruptions?

Our normal protocol for irregular events which are out of our control is in effect.

About Air Canada's 737 MAX Fleet

How long will the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft be grounded?

As the return to service date of the 737 MAX is unknown, to provide customers certainty for booking and travel, and for our internal planning purposes, Air Canada has removed 737 MAX aircraft from its schedule until June 30, 2020. 

Our plans are flexible to reinstate the 737 MAX into our schedule sooner. This will depend on when government safety notices are lifted and international regulatory jurisdictions accept operations.  As always, all decisions will be based on safety.

How many Boeing 737 MAX aircraft does Air Canada have?

Air Canada has a fleet of 24 Boeing 737 MAX-8 aircraft, which have been in operation since 2017. We have a total fleet of 400 aircraft (including 24 737 MAX), comprising Air Canada mainline, Air Canada Rouge and Air Canada Express aircraft.

Where do the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft fly to?

Our 737 MAX aircraft were scheduled on flights across North America, to Mexico, the Caribbean, Hawaii, as well as from Atlantic Canada to London Heathrow.

How many Boeing 737 MAX flights are there each day, and how many passengers are affected?

We operated approximately 75 Boeing 737 MAX flights daily out of a total schedule of approximately 1,600 daily flights system-wide, representing less than six percent of our total flying. Our Boeing 737 MAX aircraft transported 9,000 to 12,000 customers each day.