Air Canada technical issue stabilizing, but airline says to expect more flight delays

By Sammy Hudes, The Canadian Press on June 1, 2023.

Air Canada says its communicator system has begun to stabilize after experiencing technical problems on Thursday morning, but travellers are still expected to face delays and cancellations before it is back fully up and running.

The Montreal-based airline advised travellers to check the status of their flights online amid delays caused by an IT issue for the second time in a week.

A total of 205 Air Canada flights, or 39 per cent of the airline’s scheduled load, have been delayed Thursday, along with 28 cancellations, according to tracking service FlightAware.com.

Air Canada Rouge has also experienced 76 delays, or 51 per cent of its flights, as well as six cancellations.

Air Canada said the latest issue “was in the same systems” but unrelated to the problem it experienced last Thursday, when it briefly grounded its planes. The system is used to communicate with aircraft and monitor their performance.

“We have been in the process of upgrading this system using a third-party supplier’s technology. Air Canada will continue to work with the manufacturer to ensure stability in the system in the future,” the airline said in an emailed statement.

“We apologize for the impact on our customers and appreciate their patience. We are working hard to get people on their way as soon as possible.”

It said Thursday afternoon that aircraft “continue to move although still at a lower than normal rate” and it anticipates impacts to continue throughout the day.

“As a result, customers may experience delays and in some instances cancellations as we move through recovery,” Air Canada said. “We have also put in place a flexible policy for those who wish to change their travel plans at no cost.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 1, 2023.

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