Copa Airlines provided a new update on the operational status of its Boeing 737 MAX 9 fleet, of which 21 aircraft (out of a total of 29) have been withdrawn from commercial service following the incident of Alaska Airlines last Saturday.
They indicated that this situation will continue «while authorities and the manufacturer define the necessary inspection instructions for the evaluation and safe and reliable return to operation of these aircraft.»
«Copa Airlines deeply regrets the cancellations and delays of flights resulting from this situation, beyond its control, and wishes to express that its entire human team is working tirelessly to mitigate these disruptions in the best way possible, while expressing its sincerest apologies to its passengers for the inconvenience caused«, the statement continues.
They also indicate that they will continue to provide all possible assistance to affected passengers «including proactive communication, priority in reaccommodation on other flights as available, itinerary changes without penalty and refunds—as well as accommodation, food and various expenses when necessary«.
See also: Decompression of the Boeing 737 MAX -9: The NTSB Investigation May Take Up to 18 Months
Copa Airlines had scheduled regular flights with the 737 MAX 9 to 32 of its 80 destinations: Aruba, Bogotá, Cali, Córdoba, Cancún, Curaçao, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Guatemala City, Guayaquil, Havana, Washington, New York, Los Angeles, Lima, Orlando, Medellín, Managua, Miami, Montevideo, Punta Cana, Rosario, San Salvador, San Pedro Sula, Santiago de Chile, Santo Domingo, San Francisco, San José-CR, Quito, Tegucigalpa-Palmerola and Montreal.
According to information obtained by Aviacionline from Cirium, in January this represented 25.8% of the seats offered by Copa Airlines (40% of the capacity in ASK, a higher percentage considering that the MAX operated on longer routes) and 24.1% of the flights.
«Copa reiterates that its highest priority is the safety of its passengers and crews, and appreciates their understanding as it works with the competent authorities to ensure that the suspended aircraft can return to flying in a totally safe and reliable manner«, they concluded, calling on passengers to periodically check the status of their flights on copa.com or the mobile application before heading to the airport.
