Big Air Canada A321XLR News

Air Canada has published big news surrounding its Airbus A321XLR, an upcoming next-generation jet.

The Canadian flag-carrier says that the fleet of the extra-long-range aircraft will begin being delivered in the first quarter of 2026, and with that, it has confirmed its first route.

Inauguration of the new aircraft will occur between Montreal (YUL) and Palma de Mallorca (PMI), the Spanish island in the western Mediterranean, with flights now on sale as well.

The new route announcement is a sign of what’s to come for the flag-carrier as it begins planning for a new era with the capabilities of this aircraft to change the game of its international route network.

AC924 is scheduled to depart four times a week on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday with takeoff at 1845 and a next-day arrival into Palma de Mallorca at 0825.

AC925 will then depart Palma de Mallorca at 1215 with a same-day arrival back into Montreal at 1510. These flights are scheduled to take place between June 17, 2026 and October 23, 2026.

Today, we begin that journey of growth with the announcement of Palma de Mallorca as the first new destination made possible by this fleet. By leveraging the unique capabilities of the A321XLR, Air Canada becomes the first Canadian airline to offer flights to this Spanish island, renowned for its stunning beaches, history and culture. We look forward to welcoming our customers aboard this exciting new aircraft, which will join our fleet in the coming months.

Mark Galardo, Executive Vice President & Chief Commercial Officer, and President, Cargo at Air Canada.

The Airbus A321XLR comes with significantly more range than base models in the A320neo program, and with this purchase, it alleviates pressure on widebodies, which can continue focusing on serving in-demand cities requiring higher levels of capacity.

But, with the game-changing A321XLR, secondary cities are within reach, such as Mallorca, with fresh opportunities to grow market share in new locations.

Air Canada says that it will also operate the newly delivered A321XLR through to Toulouse and Edinburgh in 2026 from the Quebec-based city, with this market acting as a key gateway across the Atlantic.

The Airbus A321XLR Plan

Under current forecasting, but naturally subject to change given all the difficulties surrounding the delivery of new commercial aircraft in recent times, Air Canada would hope to take delivery of its first A321XLR in the first quarter of 2026.

Following the first delivery, a familiarisation window will occur in a bid to get the crew up to speed with the new aircraft before it is deployed to Palma de Mallorca.

Air Canada will take delivery of 30 of these game-changer Airbus A321XLRs; the first aircraft will be on a lease from Air Lease Corporation, a major aircraft lessor tasked with the responsibility of providing aircraft to airlines such as the Canadian flag-carrier.

2026 will hopefully be a big year for the business in terms of fleet growth with the planned arrival of 10 A321XLR jets in the year alone, allowing for the rapid expansion of the international network and introduction of these planes as part of efforts to streamline and eventually say goodbye to the 737 MAX at the mainline fleet before its transition to the Rouge branding.

These XLRs will also be the first narrowbody aircraft in the fleet to feature lie-flat seats in a business-class cabin, as part of attempts to bring the widebody experience to the smaller aircraft, similar to what Etihad Airways has done with the addition of its Airbus A321LR.

Therefore, this aircraft type will seat 182 passengers, with 14 Signature Class seats followed by 168 in Economy, marking a new beginning with an enhanced focus on introducing a new onboard experience.

Looking further ahead, it will not just be Montreal benefiting from the game-changing capabilities of this aircraft, with the airline confirming that routes from Toronto, Ottawa and Halifax will all launch with the A321XLR and more cities to follow even after that.