Ottawa to keep Boeing Max aircraft grounded for now, despite U.S. decision

The Boeing 737 Max aircraft will not be returning to Canadian skies just yet, despite being cleared for takeoff by US regulators. Federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau said Wednesday that Canada will impose different requirements than the US before it lifts the grounding orders for the plane, including additional procedures on the flight deck and pre-flight and differences in training for flight operators. “Our government remains committed to keeping Canadians, the travelling public, and the transportation system safe and secure,” Garneau said, adding that he expects the validation process to conclude “very soon.” Garneau's remarks followed a US announcement that the Boeing 737 Max, which was involved in two mass casualty crashes in recent years, will be permitted to fly again once Boeing makes changes to the software and computer systems on each plane and provides training to pilots in flight simulators. Government agencies around the world, including Transport Canada, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency and the FAA have been conducting independent processes for deciding whether to recertify the plane to fly.<br/>