Summary
- Transport Canada has ordered Canadian Boeing 737 MAX operators to limit the use of anti-icing systems due to safety concerns.
- The order follows a similar directive from the US Federal Aviation Administration and will require airlines to make modifications.
- Six Canadian airlines currently operate Boeing 737 MAX aircraft that will be impacted by the directive.
Canada's civil aviation regulator has ordered Canadian Boeing 737 MAX operators to limit the use of anti-icing systems, citing safety concerns. According to the latest Transport Canada (TC) directive seen by CBC News, using an engine anti-icing system in dry air can cause damage to engine housings.
Following FAA's lead
This recent Transport Canada directive follows the issuance of a similar Airworthiness Directive (AD) by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The AD, issued on August 8, 2023, is set to take effect from August 25, 2023.
This AD was initiated following the results of in-flight assessments, which revealed that employing the engine anti-icing system in dry air for durations exceeding five minutes under specific conditions can lead to overheating and consequently cause "significant damage to the engine inlet cowl."
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Consequently, airlines operating Boeing 737 MAX aircraft featuring CFM International LEAP-1B engines must amend their aircraft flight manuals (AFM). These modifications will entail restrictions on engine anti-icing usage and revisions to the minimum equipment list (MEL) to disallow dispatch under specific conditions.
The CFM International LEAP-1B engines are only used to power the Boeing 737 MAX family aircraft, including 737 MAX 7, 737 MAX 8, 737 MAX 9, 737 MAX 10, and 737 MAX 8200. Notably, the FAA said there have been no reported in-service failures linked to this condition. Instances have solely arisen during in-flight testing.
Impact on Canadian carriers
A total of six Canadian airlines, including Air Canada, WestJet, Flair Airlines, Sunwing Airlines, Swoop, and Air Transat, currently operate Boeing 737 MAX aircraft that this directive will impact.
Planespotter.net data reveals that among these six operators, a combined fleet of 99 Boeing 737 MAX jets are in service. Canada's flag carrier Air Canada leads the pack with 40 units, followed by WestJet with 24, Flair Airlines with 18, Sunwing Airlines with nine, Swoop with six, and Air Transat with two.
Air Canada, WestJet, and Flair Airlines told CBC News that the changes would not have any effect on passenger service.
The 737 MAX, now referred to as the 737-8 by Canadian airlines, has encountered a series of challenges, and the latest among them is the newly issued directive. This aircraft faced a global grounding in 2019 after two notable crashes.
During this grounding period, Boeing undertook a redesign of the Manoeuvring Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), which was implicated in the crashes. The plane was subsequently approved by the FAA for return to service in 2020, and Transport Canada granted its clearance in 2021.
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Sources: FAA, CBC News, Planespotters.net