In the wake of a plane crash in Ethiopia that left 157 dead, including 18 Canadians, passengers on Canadian airlines are looking to change flights over concerns about the type of aircraft.
A Boeing 737 Max 8 was involved in the crash in Ethiopia on Sunday, and was also the same model of aircraft in a deadly Indonesia crash that killed 189 people in October.
Both Air Canada and WestJet own and operate Boeing 737 Max 8s and both say they are confident in using the planes.
"These aircraft have performed excellently from a safety, reliability and customer satisfaction perspective," Air Canada spokeswoman Isabelle Arthur said in an email to The Canadian Press. "We continue to operate our normal B737 schedule."
WestJet says it won't be grounding any of the aircraft.
"WestJet remains confident in the safety of our Boeing 737 fleet, including our 13 MAX 8 aircraft," the airline said in a tweet.
But passengers aren't as sure.
The Air Canada Pilots Association called on Transport Minister Marc Garneau to "to take proactive action to ensure the safety of the Canadian travelling public."
The Air Line Pilots Association, which represents WestJet, Air Transat and Delta pilots, cautioned against speculation.
"As the various parties responsible for this investigation begin their work, we caution against speculation about what may have caused this tragic accident," it said in a statement.
But WestJet and Air Canada's continued use of the airline received support from Garneau. https://bc.ctvnews.ca/canadian-airlines-try-to-reassure-flyers-after-fatal-plane-crash-1.4331267
He said he would board a Max 8 "without hesitation."
"Flying in this country is one of the safest ways to travel. The statistics very, very clearly prove that," he said.
