Air Canada celebrates arrivals of its first Airbus A321XLR

Air Canada has taken delivery of its first Airbus A321XLR, marking a milestone in the airline’s fleet renewal and growth.

The fleet renewal will include a total of 30 of the A321XLR aircraft – 15 will be leased, while 15 are being acquired directly from Airbus S.A.S. – which will be entering its fleet over the coming years.

Mark Galardo, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, and President of Cargo at Air Canada, said that: “Air Canada is building one of the most modern and capable fleets in the industry. 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.”

Galardo continued: “Equipped with a quieter, more comfortable cabin when compared to previous generation aircraft, this game-changing aircraft will shortly be deployed across the Atlantic from Montréal and Toronto, while also becoming a staple on key North American transcontinental markets.”

And he added that: “Supporting our fleet modernization, continued network growth, and an elevated onboard experience, the arrival of the Airbus A321XLR marks a transformative moment for Air Canada.”

The A321XLR furthers Air Canada’s ability to serve new transcontinental and transatlantic city pairs and the carrier’s new Glowing Hearted cabin standard makes its debut on the A321XLR.

In addition to the A321XLR, Air Canada has announced orders for eight A350-1000s for delivery starting in 2030 and 14 Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners.

Air Canada also continues to take deliveries of the Canadian-built Airbus A220, with 23 aircraft remaining on its firm order of 65. Five Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, on lease, have also been delivered in 2026.