Air Canada is cancelling an order for 11 Boeing 737 Max aircraft amid ongoing questions about the safety of the grounded jet. Canada’s largest airline says it recently cut back on a 2013 deal to buy 61 of the beleaguered planes, reducing the total to 50.
Despite the cancellation, Air Canada says it is “fully committed” to the Max and that the move reflects “evolving, long-term fleet planning requirements.”
The Canadian government and countries around the world banned the 737 Max from the skies last year following two crashes in five months that killed all 346 people on board, including 18 Canadians.
The grounding has pushed back the expected delivery of the remaining 26 jets on the order book for Air Canada until well into next year. The aircraft were initially slated to be on the tarmac by this summer.
Boeing Co. reported Wednesday that it logged more commercial aircraft cancellations than new orders last month, marking a bleak start to the year for the manufacturer already reeling from two fatal crashes of its best-selling plane.