Air Canada drops 737 Max from flight schedule until Feb. 14

Air Canada said on Wednesday it had removed Boeing Co's 737 Max planes from flight schedules until Feb. 14, citing uncertainty around the aircraft's return to service.

Air Canada, which has 24 of the 737 Max aircraft in its fleet, is the first North American airline to extend the cancellation till February, as the grounding drags on longer than expected.

The 737 Max has been grounded worldwide since mid-March following two fatal crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia that killed 346 people.

United Airlines last week said it was extending cancellations of 737 Max flights until Jan. 6, as regulators continue to extensively review Boeing's proposed software changes to the grounded plane.

Among other U.S. airlines that operate the Max, Southwest Airlines has cancelled flights through Jan. 5 and American Airlines until Jan. 15.