An Air Canada Boeing 737 MAX 8 registered C-GEOJ carrying 156 passengers and six crew members veered off the runway after landing at Montréal–Trudeau International Airport on a flight from Los Angeles, prompting the temporary closure of one of the airport’s two runways.
Flight AC774 landed safely but departed the paved surface while exiting the main runway, coming to a stop on the grass. All passengers and crew were evacuated by bus to the terminal, and no injuries were reported.
The incident occurred during heavy rain, with passengers describing a frightening experience as the aircraft left the runway. Air Canada said the aircraft will undergo a full inspection and has launched an internal investigation. As a result, flights AC759 and AC756 to and from San Francisco were cancelled.
The runway closure caused delays of around 30 minutes for domestic and international flights and up to one hour for U.S.-bound services. NAV CANADA implemented temporary traffic management measures, while adverse weather added to the operational challenges. The runway reopened later the same evening.
Canada’s Transportation Safety Board has opened an investigation to determine the cause of the runway excursion.