When do you think the 737 MAX will return to operation at Air Canada?

[Fanblade]

From the AC Q2 discussion. AC management says the max is out of the schedule until Jan. 2020. They also stated the aircraft will take until summer 2020 to get back up in full operation.

NEO’s? I wish. AC needs a narrow body larger than the Max8. With the cancellation of all the Max9’s, and deferral of 11 Max’s, it will be either a Max10 or a 321. AC has stated they don’t need more the 50 Max8’s, and the Max9 doesn’t have the performance.

Again. Compensation will come in the form of In store credit. AC could use it to get more 787’s and then move to 321’s. They could just as easily get a bunch of Max10’s. I imagine the price tag on a Max will be pretty hard to pass on.

[fish4life]

Next poll: How long until AC dump the MAX and go with the NEO?

That ship has sailed. It’s not as easy as that.

More of a A220-500. With the Transat LR options if the Max is toast.

Unless I missed an announcement there is no 500 series even under development yet, I would also imagine that Boeing is putting resources into a 797 clean sheet narrow body redesign even if they aren’t publicly admitting it because they have no aircraft to compete against the 321 NEO LR and XLR’s.

[BTD]

I suspect that they will reduce all 737 positions on the next bid. What a mess. A large amount of junior people in almost all fleets will be bumped and have to retrain. I wonder if they will try to delay the bid until the Transat shareholder vote.

I wouldn’t jump on the reduction wagon just yet. From the Q2 management discussion and analysis available on the website under investor relations...

Measures taken by Air Canada to mitigate the impact of the Boeing 737 MAX grounding include:

 Substituting different aircraft on Boeing 737 MAX routes, extended leases for three Airbus A320 and three Embraer 190 aircraft which were scheduled to exit the fleet and accelerating the in- take of up to six Airbus A321 aircraft from WOW Air into its fleet.

 Contracting other carriers to provide additional capacity.

 Implementing several route changes, either changing operating times or substituting larger
aircraft with fewer frequencies on routes operated more frequently by smaller aircraft.

 In some cases, deploying Air Canada Rouge aircraft to serve mainline routes and, in a small number of cases, suspending service on certain Boeing 737 MAX routes where alternative capacity is not yet available. Air Canada remains committed to these routes and will resume service as soon as possible. In addition, some seasonal route launches, such as Montreal- Bordeaux and Vancouver-Boston, have been delayed.

 Maintaining Boeing 737 MAX aircraft training and flying requirements of pilots assigned to the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.

[sanjet]

It takes 2-4 months to train a pilot on a new type. We are 5 months away from January. I don’t see a reduction to be honest.

[altiplano]

But we already have more crew than required for 24 aircraft.

It will take 2-3 months after the ban is lifted to get the existing fleet flying again, and the other deliveries won't come for up to a year to stir the airline's needs.

I see a partial reduction coming.

[rudder]

AC seems to be clinging to a return to service for the MAX. Odd. Perhaps there is a belief that the compensation from Boeing for the grounding will be so large that once again AC will have added an aircraft at a 67% discount to list price (c series).

Still think that a discussion with AS about a straight swap of existing fleet and orders (737MAX for A321 and NEO’s) would be a better outcome for both carriers.

Time will tell. CR is too shrewd a player to let this opportunity for leverage slip by.

[fish4life]

A deal on 777x for AC?

[TheStig]

Air Canada still needs to replace its 767's, if we're making guesses, I'd say additional 787's beyond the 13 options. I agree with Rudder, CR never lets a crisis go to waste.

When the MAX grounding is lifted AC will resume its deliveries. The fleet plan was for 36 this summer, when it was grounded in March there were 24 in service. The crew level would have been somewhere in between. With the newest fleet plan showing 50 by the end of 2020, AC will struggle to train enough pilots with only 2 simulators. Reductions on the next bid will only make things more difficult.

[vermont]

Air Canada still needs to replace its 767's, if we're making guesses, I'd say additional 787's beyond the 13 options. I agree with Rudder, CR never lets a crisis go to waste.

When the MAX grounding is lifted AC will resume its deliveries. The fleet plan was for 36 this summer, when it was grounded in March there were 24 in service. The crew level would have been somewhere in between. With the newest fleet plan showing 50 by the end of 2020, AC will struggle to train enough pilots with only 2 simulators. Reductions on the next bid will only make things more difficult.

Those things (67's) will be flying into the 2030's at the current rate!