Exciting Air Canada A321XLR News

Air Canada intends to deploy its Airbus A321XLR on service between Montreal and Los Angeles in October 2026, replacing the 737 MAX 8.

As flagged in a recent schedule filing update, the airline, which serves Los Angeles International Airport three times a day, will convert one daily flight to the A321XLR.

The change will run from 1 October 2026 through 24 October 2026 and comes as the airline prepares to take delivery of the next-generation jet and begin deploying it across more services, domestically and internationally, including transatlantic and trans-border operations.

Air Canada Montreal-Los Angeles Schedule

Air Canada will deploy the Airbus A321XLR on service between Montreal and Los Angeles as AC775/A778.

AC775 is scheduled to depart Montreal at 0820 and arrive in Los Angeles at 1120. The return flight departs Los Angeles at 1225 and arrives in Montreal at 2045, all times local to each city.

With the October adjustment to this daily flight, Air Canada will serve Los Angeles three times a day with three different aircraft: the new A321XLR, the 737 MAX, and the A220.

The 737 MAX 8 is deployed across the airlines’ AC777/AC774 service. Departure from Montreal is scheduled as AC777 at 1655, with an arrival in Los Angeles at 1955. The return flight AC774 departs Los Angeles at 0815 and arrives in Montreal at 1635.

Lastly, AC779 is operated by the Airbus A220, departing Montreal at 2126, arriving at 2126, and then AC780 departs Los Angeles at 2220 for the return to Montreal the following morning at 0640.

Air Canada Makes Further A321XLR Changes

Air Canada’s decision to deploy the Airbus A321XLR on service between Montreal and Los Angeles in October 2026 comes days after further changes were made to the international transatlantic network for the aircraft, which is expected to be delivered in the coming months.

The network reshuffle saw the initially planned launch in June 2026 between Montreal-Palama de Mallorca, now no longer going ahead, and the A321XLR not to be sent here either.

Deployment between Montreal and Dublin will also not proceed, receiving a similar fate. Meanwhile, service to Toulouse and Edinburgh has also been reduced in frequency, and the launch date for Montreal to Porto and Nantes has been adjusted further.

As a result, the revised forecast sees the airline place its A321XLR on service through to Toulpoouse from 15 May, 2026; however, this is subject ot chanmged given the airline has already been forced to adjust deployment dates on several occasions.

Additionally, the airline plans to operate from Toronto to Copenhagen Airport (CPH) and Manchester Airport (MAN) beyond the Northern Summer 2026 schedule; from October, these flights will become year-round.

Toronto Base For Airbus A321XLR

This also comes with the news that the airline will operate the A321XLR out of Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) and will open a base here to serve destinations worldwide.

The flag-carrier said choosing Toronto was easy and is part of their continued efforts to expand the network from these cities in Eastern Canada and notably enhance travel on transatlantic routes between city pairings where service may not have been viable, secondary city pairings certainly.

The A321XLR’s range of up to 4,700nm means that Toronto, alongside Montreal, can become solid gateways for thinner routes where widebodies are not required, freeing up these larger aircraft for more high-demand cities.