Air Canada 624 crash: Class-action lawsuit representing passengers certified

The class action lawsuit on behalf of passengers of Air Canada Flight 624 — which crash landed on a Halifax runway in March, 2015 — has been certified, according to Wagner’s Law Firm.

READ MORE: One year later: AC624 passengers still recovering from Halifax crash landing

Wagners, which is representing the passengers, said in a release Monday the lawsuit against Air Canada, Airbus S.A.S., Nav Canada, the Halifax International Airport Authority and Transport Canada.

Transport Canada challenged the certification, but last week the Nova Scotia Supreme Court ruled that as landlord of the airport, it could be held responsible for navigation systems and other equipment.

READ MORE: AC 624 crash lawsuit: Transport Canada included in class action certification

AC 624 crash landed about 200 metres short of the runway on the night of March 29, 2015. It then bounced into the air, finally coming to a stop after skidding along the runway for about another 570 metres.

The plane’s landing gear and an engine were torn from the plane. The fuselage was largely intact, despite significant damage to the bottom of the plane.

Though no one was killed, more than two dozen of the 133 passenegers sustained injuries in the crash. Nearly all of the passengers waited on the tarmac in a snowstorm before being taken inside, the lawsuit alleges.

READ MORE: Photos of cabin of flight AC624 which crashed in Halifax in March released by TSB

Wagners said Monday they’re in the process of notifying the passengers on board.

Passengers have the opportunity to opt out of the class-action lawsuit if they want to start their own separate legal action.

Wagners says counsel and lawyers will return to court Jan. 16 to discuss scheduling steps that lead up to the trial.

— With files from The Canadian Press.