Skip to content

Transport Minister Defends Decision Not To Ground Boeing 737 MAX 8 Planes

Several countries have grounded the Boeing 737 MAX 8 plane after this week’s tragic crash, but that does not include Canada.

Transport Minister Marc Garneau says it is very important not to make premature decisions, and we must determine the cause before further steps are taken.

He is confident with their decision, “I would, without any hesitation, board an aircraft of that type at this particular moment of time. I understand that sometimes when something happens, it draws a great deal of attention and so it should, but flying is a very safe way to travel in this country. The statistic show that.”

Countries that have chosen to ground the planes include Ethiopia, Singapore, China and Indonesia.

“I am confident that we are following up on this very, very carefully and with all of the priority that is necessary to ensure that we discover what the cause of the accident was. Then, I will not hesitate to take any action necessary,” Garneau says.

Canada and the United States are just two who have chosen to continue letting the planes fly.

“The MAX 8 has a performance that is based on millions of hours of flying. We need to understand in the case of the Ethiopian flight before any action is taken.”

All 157 people onboard the plane were killed in this week’s crash, including 18 Canadians.

One of those killed was Peter DeMarsh of Taymouth, New Brunswick.

Author

  • Tara Clow is a multi-award-winning news anchor and reporter with more than 30 years of experience at radio stations across Canada. She is a graduate of the Radio and TV Arts program at Toronto Metropolitan University and the Humber College radio broadcasting program. She is based in Moncton and covers stories across Canada. Contact Tara at clow.tara@radioabl.ca.

Do you have a news tip?

Submit to NBNews@radioabl.ca.

loader-image
Moncton, NB
5:35 pm, Apr 10, 2026
weather icon 12°C
L: 12° H: 12°
overcast clouds

What’s Trending