Air Canada First A321XLR & 787-10 Coming In 2026

2026 is expected to be a blockbuster year for Air Canada with the delivery of 35 new aircraft, including brand new A321XLRs and 787-10s.

The delivery of these planes, expected to accelerate fleet rrnewal is part of a broader streamlining and growth plan at the airline taking shape.

Air Canada Reveals Delivery Schedule

Under revised 2026 forecasts, Air Canada expects to take delivery of 35 new commercial aircraft; however, most deliveries are expected in the second half of the year.

The year will be headlined by the delivery of two new aircraft types to overhaul the airline’s single-aisle and widebody fleets, with the first deliveries of the A321XLR and 787-10.

Air Canada says the A321XLRs will unlock new destinations such as Berlin while also enhancing the product in existing markets, including Toulouse and Manchester, providing a consistent year-round XLR product for premium positioning in markets that may have been previously only viable seasonally.

The Boeing 787-10, slated to complement the 787-9 Dreamliner already in service, will initially be deployed from Toronto and help drive high-capacity widebody flying while easing subsequent pressure on existing models, which are beginning to show their age.

These new deliveries of the A321XLR and 787-10 are part of ongoing renewal efforts at the Canadian flag carrier. Still, they are ultimately delayed because the airline is among those affected by the aircraft manufacturers’ inability to deliver on time.

Goodbye To The Boeing 737 MAX

In addition to new aircraft deliveries, Air Canada has confirmed the ongoing transition of its entire Boeing 737 MAX 8 fleet to its leisure-focused subsidiary, Air Canada Rouge, by the end of 2026.

The strategic shift will see the MAX model replace Rouge’s Airbus A320 family jets, which average nearly 20 years old and, as a result, have higher operating costs than the vastly more efficient MAX platform.

By operating the 737 MAX, Rouge not only improves its bottom line but also boosts the leisure brand’s competitiveness across key routes, including the Caribbean, Central America, and the United States.

Under current plans, Rouge will open a new crew base in Vancouver to support leisure expansion on the West Coast in Q1 2026 and substantially expand the fleet.

The 737 MAXs will feature key upgrades to align with the Rouge brand. They will be enabled by the mainline brands’ transition to Airbus’ next-generation aircraft, which will be exclusively for their single-aisle operations, with the upcoming A321XLR to complement the A220.

A Recent A350-1000 Order Replaces A330s

Furthermore, with Air Canada’s recently disclosed order for eight Airbus A350-1000s and options for eight more, the airline will continue to expand its long-haul network with an adequate replacement for aging widebodies.

With deliveries scheduled for the second half of 2030 and the jets equipped with Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines, the aircraft will substantially improve efficiency and move Air Canada closer to its zero-emission targets.

Air Canada says the A350-1000s will help replace its oldest Airbus A330-300 jets, which, while workhorses for the business, are aging and therefore incur higher operating costs.

The phasing out of these panes in favour of the A350-1000 brings not only greater capacity toward existing markets, which the business can now better serve, but also opens up new possibilities in terms of routes, such as those to India, Southeast Asia, and Australia.