Transport Minister Bans 737 Max 8 Jets from Canadian Airspace
Airspace Restriction Comes Following New Data Suggesting Similarities Between Two Fatal Flights
Parliament Hill is grounding all Boeing 737 Max 8 and Max 9 craft from its airspace.
Related: Did Grounding 737 Max 8s Ruin Your Holiday Plans?
The announcement came Wednesday morning, following some new information brought before Transport Minister Marc Garneau. “As a result of new data that we received this morning, and on the advice of my experts, and as a precautionary measure, I am issuing a safety notice: this safety notice restricts commercial passenger flights from any operator of the Boeing 737 Max 8 from arriving or departing from Canadian airspace.”
Garneau emphasized this was a precautionary measure, and is indefinite in length.
The restriction comes as nations around the world enact the same ban, following Sunday’s fatal crash of an Ethiopian Airlines 737 max 8 shortly after take off. Garneau says the new information involved satellite data that showed similarities in flight profiles between Sunday’s fatal crash, and that of a Lion Air Boeing 737 max 8 that crashed in October; “There are, and I hasten to say not conclusive, but there are similarities”. Enough so, however, that Garneau issued the restriction shortly after receiving the information.
RELATED: ORILLIA WOMAN AMONG THOSE KILLED IN ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES CRASH
On March 10th, the Ethiopian Airlines flight crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all 157 people on board. Eighteen of the victims were from Canada, including one from Orillia.
