An Air Canada Boeing 737 MAX 8 from San Francisco approaches for landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport over a parked Air Canada Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, March 13, 2019. REUTERS/Chris Helgren

(Reuters) - Air Canada AC.TO said on Wednesday it had removed Boeing Co's BA.N 737 MAX planes from flight schedules until Feb. 14, citing uncertainty around the aircraft's return to service.

Air Canada, which has 24 737 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 UAL.O 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 Co LUV.N has canceled flights through Jan. 5 and American Airlines Group Inc AAL.O until Jan. 15.