Air Canada Orders 26 Extra-long Range Airbus A321neo Aircraft

With an order for 26 extra-long range (XLR) Airbus A321neo aircraft, Air Canada expects to deploy single-aisle aircraft on transatlantic flights starting in 2024.

The narrow-body A321XLRs will hold 182 people in the economy and 14 passengers in lie-flat seats.

The A321XLR has a range of roughly 8,700 kilometers and can fly for up to 11 hours. It can travel nonstop anyplace in North America.

The twinjets can also fly transatlantic routes, pending certification from Transport Canada for international operations.

The planes will be used to expand Air Canada’s fleet while also replacing older, less-efficient planes that are expected to retire.

Fifteen will be leased from Air Lease Corporation, five from AerCap, and six will be purchased from Airbus under a purchase agreement that includes the option to purchase a further 14 aircraft between 2027 and 2030.

The first planes are expected to arrive in the first quarter of 2024, with the final plane arriving in the first quarter of 2027.

Michael Rousseau, the company’s CEO, stated: “Air Canada is committed to further strengthen its market-leading position, especially through investments in new technology.

“The acquisition of the state-of-the-art Airbus A321XLR is an important element of this strategy and will drive our core priorities of elevating the customer experience, advancing our environmental goals, network expansion and increasing our overall cost efficiency.

“This order also shows that Air Canada is emerging strongly from the pandemic and is ideally positioned to grow, compete and thrive in a reshaped global aviation industry.”