Air Canada Changes 787-10 Order

Air Canada has provided further updates to its future with the 787 Dreamliner, specifically with the 787-10 model.

The Canadian flag-carrier, during its third-quarter earnings call, said that, looking beyond 2026, the 787-10 order, which was for 18 firm units, has now been modified to include 14 firm jets instead, a minor reduction.

Under current delivery forecasting, the airline expects to take delivery of two Boeing 787-10s in 2026. This is part of a new phase of growth for the airline that it’s excited about.

However, Air Canada is under no illusion that receiving the aircraft is positive; they are arriving with substantial delays, as outlined in previous quarterly earnings and investor day presentations.

With the first two models arriving next year under the delivery forecast, Air Canada expects the first batch of 10 models to be in service by 2028, with the remaining four to be delivered between 2028 and 2030.

Even with the delivery of the Boeing 787-10, Air Canada’s executives warn that it’ll still have fewer jets at any given month next year, which will, in turn, impact overall ASM production.

2026 To Be Record-Breaking For Air Canada

With the first delivery of the 787-10 scheduled for 2026, this year will ultimately be a record-breaking one, as the flag carrier expects to take on 35 new planes over the 12 months.

While the final figure will be determined by how planemakers Airbus and Boeing can manage ongoing output struggles, which have impacted their production for years now, Air Canada remains confident that things are finally turning.

Included in the deliveries are 18 Airbus A220 jets, 11 Airbus A321XLRs, four Boeing 737 MAX jets, and, lastly, two Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners, as mentioned.

New aircraft will allow Air Canada to fundamentally shift its focus to markets served, notably by placing less emphasis on transborder connectivity to the United States after political tensions have strained relations.

Air Canada has been looking to expand its network for some time and has many markets on the radar, but it also requires aircraft to make this possible. With more deliveries, the expectation is that new routes will launch in 2026 and beyond.

The 787-10 is expected to play a strong role in aiding connectivity across longer-ranged services and will ease pressure on the 787-9, which already serves the international, when pairing these two models with the 777 Air Canada believes it’ll be easier than before to reach new international cities and ones that previously formed part of the network but have yet to return.