Air Canada is acquiring 30 new planes that feature 14 lie-flat seats on a single-aisle aircraft, the company announced on Friday.
The airline will be the first in Canada to offer this type of horizontal seating, through its newly designed Signature Class premium cabins, starting this summer.
“Air Canada is building one of the most modern and capable fleets in the industry,” executive vice-president and chief commercial officer Mark Galardo said in a press release. “The Airbus A321XLR introduces a dynamic new component to Air Canada’s growth strategy, greatly expanding our flexibility to launch new international routes and improve our offering on existing markets.”
On Friday, the company said it had received its first Airbus A321XLR delivery from Hamburg, Germany. The next-generation single-aisle aircraft is supposedly designed to fly longer routes efficiently and with greater passenger comfort.
The aircraft was leased from SMBC Aviation Capital and is the first of 30 total A321XLR aircraft being added to Air Canada’s fleet in the coming years — 15 of them leased and 15 acquired directly from Airbus S.A.S
Galardo said the “game-changing” aircraft will shortly be deployed across the Atlantic from Montréal and Toronto, while also becoming a staple on key North American transcontinental routes.
The airline is also debuting its new “Glowing Hearted cabin standard” on the A321XLR, which it says has an “unmistakably Canadian welcome” design for passengers, with a backlit canopy of maple leaves when they board.
The company said it plans to integrate the aircraft into its schedule progressively, following Transport Canada certification and entry into service.
The delivery is the latest step in the airline’s fleet modernization program, which includes fuel efficiency improvements over its older-generation aircraft.
