Air Canada has identified the first new route on which it will deploy its incoming Airbus A321XLR aircraft, which the airline says will unlock long-haul flights to secondary cities that do not support widebody operations.
Montreal to Palma de Mallorca, the capital of Spain’s Balearic archipelago in the western Mediterranean, is targeted to launch in June 2026 using A321XLRs, Air Canada said on 9 September.
The seasonal route is scheduled to run 17 June-23 October.
Also targeted for A321XLR service are existing routes between Montreal-Toulouse and Montreal-Edinburgh, due to transition to the latest-generation Airbus narrowbodies later in 2026.
The Montreal-headquartered carrier emphasises that it will begin receiving deliveries of the extra-long-range variant of Airbus’ flagship narrowbody A321neo in early 2026.
That aligns with the carrier’s previously disclosed timeline for taking its first A321XLRs and Boeing 787-10s, which were initially expected this year.
Mark Galardo, Air Canada’s chief commercial officer, says the “imminent arrival” of the carrier’s first A321XLRs ”marks the next phase of international growth at Air Canada”.
He adds that the planned Montreal-Palma de Mallorca route is an example of the “exciting global opportunities” unlocked by the A321XLR’s “widebody range”.
Air Canada holds firm orders for 30 A321XLRs and options to order another 10 between 2030 and 2032, for a potential 40 of the extra-long-range jets. The incoming narrowbodies will be powered by Pratt & Whitney PW1100G geared turbofans.
The carrier will configure its A321XLRs with 14 lie-flat seats in business class and 168 economy-class seats.
Air Canada is not the only North American carrier awaiting the long-range, single-aisle twinjets. American Airlines and United Airlines are also anticipating their first A321XLR deliveries in coming months, with plans to deploy them in 2026.
