Summary

  • Air Canada acquires 8 new Boeing 737 MAX 8s from BOC Aviation for flexibility and handling increased travel demand.
  • The MAX 8s feature the latest technologies, improving fuel efficiency and reducing carbon emissions.
  • Air Canada has massive network expansion plans for this Winter.

Air Canada has entered into an agreement with lessor – BOC Aviation, which will see the airline receive eight new Boeing 737 MAX 8s, which will help the carrier strengthen its capacity for the forecasted increase in travel demand.

8 new MAX 8s

Montreal-based Air Canada entered an agreement on Tuesday with a Singaporean aircraft lessor to acquire eight new Boeing 737 MAX 8s. According to MRO Today, all eight jets will be equipped with CFM LEAP-1B engines and will be delivered over a period of the next five months and enter into commercial service next year.

The new aircraft will enable Air Canada to strengthen its capacity and offer the airline flexibility in managing capacity while growing its operations following the trend of growth in domestic and international travel demands. Additionally, the MAX 8 features the latest technologies and will offer increased savings in terms of operational costs and fuel efficiency and help reduce the airline’s carbon emissions.

Air Canada B737 MAX8 on ground

Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

Apart from the new MAX 8 orders, the airline has a considerable number of latest-generation aircraft yet to be delivered from both Airbus and Boeing, with the order books from both manufacturers showing the following (as of May 2024):

Manufacturer

Aircraft

Remaining Deliveries

Airbus

A220

27

Airbus

A321neo

15

Boeing

787-10

18

Total Aircraft

60

Major upgrades

While the carrier will receive the MAX 8 and initially operate the jets in an all-economy configuration, the airline plans on reconfiguring the jets later. Presumably, the eight new jets will be upgraded to the standard configuration of the airline’s existing fleet of MAX 8s.

Class

Configuration

Number of Seats

Business

2 – 2

16

Economy

3 – 3

147*

*30 of the 147 economy seats are classed as Preferred seats by the airline, featuring extra legroom.

In addition to the cabin upgrades, the airline is also undergoing a retrofit program to upgrade the cockpit and avionics systems on its fleet of Airbus A320s.

Air Canada A320 Flying

Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

Related

Air Canada Undertakes Major Airbus A320 Flight Deck Upgrade

76 aircraft will be retrofitted.

This retrofit program will see features such as HUDs, RNP AR, Soft Go-Around capabilities, and more integrated into the A320s, resulting in the type’s cockpit having features similar to those of the newer A321 XLRs. These upgrades will help the pilots with better situational awareness and access to data, while the airline benefits from the operational efficiencies these new features will offer.

Expansion plans

The airline, in the past month, has revealed several plans for its network and operational expansions, which include launching new services or increasing capacity on existing services by switching narrowbody aircraft to widebody aircraft on routes that see high demand.

Later this year, Air Canada will replace some of its narrowbody services to Vegas, Phoenix, and Miami with widebody aircraft such as the Airbus A330-300, Boeing 777-200LR, and Boeing 787 Dreamliners.

Related

Air Canada Will Upgrade Service To Las Vegas, Phoenix And Miami With The Airbus A330-300 & Boeing 777-200LR

While the equipment upgrade will be seasonal on flights to Miami, it is expected to last a bit longer on flights to the warm West Coast destinations.

Air Canada Boeing 787-9 on ground

Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

Additionally, the airline aims to increase its operations during winter by adding services to over 50 popular winter destinations in the US and the Caribbean, which allows Air Canada to tap into the winter travel demand from Canada to sunnier destinations. Furthermore, the airline is also aiming to increase its services to the lucrative Indian market by introducing flights such as non-stop Toronto – Mumbai and improving other services to India.


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