An Air Canada flight from Los Angeles landed normally at Montréal-Trudeau Airport Thursday afternoon before the aircraft travelled through the grass while exiting the main runway.
Flight AC774, which arrived from Los Angeles International Airport around 4:30 p.m., sustained a runway excursion. No injuries were reported.
Photos sent to CityNews show the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft sitting on the grass following the incident.
Air Canada says the 156 passengers and six crew members on board were safely deplaned and transported to the terminal by buses. The airline later confirmed to CityNews at 7:38 p.m. that everyone had arrived inside the terminal.
The airport authority says YUL’s Emergency Coordination Centre was activated in response to the incident. The North Runway was temporarily closed to allow for the safe evacuation of passengers, resulting in operational delays.
The airport later confirmed the North Runway was fully operational again, though some delays continued. Passengers were encouraged to check their flight status before travelling to YUL.
Plans were made to tow the aircraft to the hangar, where a full inspection will take place.
Air Canada is conducting a detailed investigation into the incident and will work with relevant authorities to determine the cause.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) is also deploying a team of investigators following the runway excursion. The agency says it will gather information and assess the occurrence.