Overview
- Air Canada has begun commercial operations with its first A321XLR, aircraft AC413, which flew a domestic Montreal–Toronto sector carrying 182 passengers as it completes short‑haul trips before overseas service.
- The type is the first A321XLR in Canada and makes Air Canada the second operator of the model in North America.
- AC413 debuts Air Canada’s new “Glowing Hearted” interior with 14 lie‑flat Signature Class seats and 168 Economy seats, each fitted with seatback 4K OLED in‑flight entertainment, Bluetooth audio and power outlets.
- Air Canada has committed to 30 A321XLRs in total, split between 15 leased examples and 15 purchased from Airbus, and plans to use them mainly on transatlantic sectors from Toronto and Montreal and on North American transcontinental routes.
- Airlines worldwide are introducing the A321XLR because its roughly 4,700‑nautical‑mile range and lower fuel burn per seat let carriers open long, low‑demand routes that once required widebody jets, a trend illustrated by Saudia’s recent regional delivery.