Air Canada Expects 90 Aircraft In 5 Years

Air Canada has published its investor overview presentation for the third quarter of 2024 and released updates surrounding its future.

A core focus for the Canadian carrier’s future is its fleet development and renewal efforts. The airline expects many aircraft deliveries in the coming years to facilitate that.

Through strategic investments in wide-body and narrowbody planes, Air Canada expects 90 aircraft to be delivered over the next five years, taking the airline to the turn of the decade.

The 90 aircraft are to be spread alongside Airbus and Boeing planes, with the bulk of new deliveries primarily occurring in the 2026 to 2029 timeframe.

Looking at 2024, the airline is hopeful for 5 MAX deliveries and 2 Airbus A220s. In 2025, there’ll be deliveries of just one 787-9, two 767Fs, seven 737 MAX jets, two A321XLRs marking the first of this type, and nine A220s.

However, major expansion efforts will ramp up from 2026 onwards with the first delivery of the new high-capacity Dreamliner, the 787-10, aiding international fleet growth ambitions. Eighteen units are expected to be delivered across these three years.

Meanwhile, narrowbody fleet growth and renewal efforts are set to increase substantially as the airline will receive more A321XLR jets. This new single-aisle jet aims to redefine what it means to operate with smaller aircraft. Air Canada expects 28 of these to be delivered over three years.

Meanwhile, some 16 Airbus A220s will be delivered between 2026 and 2029. This jet’s efficiency has been a huge positive for the airline as it has developed and is used in various markets.

Air Canada Teases Route Developments

As new aircraft are delivered over the next five years, more capacity will be available for the carrier to pounce on. Thanks to this, new markets will be within reach.

In the investor meeting, the airline highlighted its unique position to meet growth thanks to its three current hubs, which are geographically positioned to serve specific markets.

From Vancouver, which allows for Transpacific crossings to locations across Asia and even as far as Australia, the latest investor notes once more highlight Melbourne as a prospective location.

The flag carrier previously served the city, but it has been missing since the pandemic. Airport executives have looked to push for the airline to return to the city, but the knowledge has long been about the overall availability of aircraft.

Montreal and Toronto are other important strategic hubs, allowing connectivity to a wide array of locations, from African cities to major European locations and even further into the United States and beyond.