Following Boeing’s announcement on Tuesday regarding the 737-MAX aircraft, WestJet has announced that it will be updating its schedule to remove the aircraft through to 24 June 2020. Any affected guests will be proactively contacted once work is complete.
“We thank our guests for their patience and our WestJetters for their commitment to keeping our airline moving safely and on time as we continue to adjust our schedule,” said Ed Sims, WestJet President and Chief Executive. “We remain confident in the regulatory process undertaken by the Federal Aviation Authority and Transport Canada to ensure the safe return of the aircraft.”
WestJet has completed more than 98% of its planned departures even while its 13 MAX aircraft remain on the ground.
Boeing Statement
On Tuesday 21 January, Boeing issued the following statement: “As we have emphasised, the FAA and other global regulators will determine when the 737 MAX returns to service. However, in order to help our customers and suppliers plan their operations, we periodically provide them with our best estimate of when regulators will begin to authorise the ungrounding of the 737 MAX.
“We are informing our customers and suppliers that we are currently estimating that the ungrounding of the 737 MAX will begin during mid-2020. This updated estimate is informed by our experience to date with the certification process. It is subject to our ongoing attempts to address known schedule risks and further developments that may arise in connection with the certification process. It also accounts for the rigorous scrutiny that regulatory authorities are rightly applying at every step of their review of the 737 MAX’s flight control system and the Joint Operations Evaluation Board process which determines pilot training requirements.
“Returning the MAX safely to service is our number one priority, and we are confident that will happen. We acknowledge and regret the continued difficulties that the grounding of the 737 MAX has presented to our customers, our regulators, our suppliers, and the flying public. We will provide additional information about our efforts to safely return the 737 MAX to service in connection with our quarterly financial disclosures next week.”
