Air Canada Takes Delivery of First Airbus A321XLR, Paving Way for New Routes

Air Canada has taken delivery of its first Airbus A321XLR (registration C-GXLR), marking a key milestone in its fleet modernization and network expansion strategy. The carrier has 30 A321XLRs on order (15 purchased, 15 leased). The aircraft features 182 total seats: 14 in business class (Collins Aerospace Aurora herringbone layout with 19” 4K OLED monitors) and 168 in economy, with no premium economy cabin. Air Canada intends to use the A321XLR for long and thin routes where widebody economics are difficult, specifically targeting transatlantic flights from Montreal and Toronto, as well as key North American transcontinental markets. This deployment allows for nonstop service on routes that previously required connections or were served by larger aircraft