Air Canada has announced that the delivery of its first Airbus A321XLR and Boeing 787-10 aircraft will be postponed until 2026. Chief Financial Officer John Di Bert shared this update during the company’s quarterly earnings call, stating that the extra-long-range variant of the A321neo “will be delayed by a few months, with the first aircraft now due to be delivered in 2026”. This marks a shift from the airline’s earlier plan to receive the A321XLRs starting in the fourth quarter of this year and continuing through 2029.
On the widebody front, Di Bert noted that the first two Boeing 787-10s, the largest variant of Boeing’s flagship widebody, are also delayed into 2026. He mentioned, “We are proactively managing and working with our partners to mitigate impacts of the OEM delivery delays in 2026 through 2028”. The airline did not provide specific reasons for these delays, but both Airbus and Boeing have been dealing with production and supply chain challenges for several months.
Despite these setbacks, Air Canada is not anticipating immediate impacts on aircraft deliveries related to US-imposed tariffs on Canada and Europe. The airline has not responded to requests for further comments on the delayed deliveries.
Total of thirty 787-10
Air Canada’s fleet data indicates unfilled orders for 18 Boeing 787-10s, with options for 12 more. The carrier also holds firm orders for 30 Airbus A321XLRs and options to order another 10 between 2030 and 2032, totaling a potential 40 of the extra-long-range jets. These incoming narrowbodies will be powered by Pratt & Whitney PW1100G geared turbofans.
When the A321XLR order was placed in March 2022, Air Canada anticipated receiving its first aircraft in early 2024, based on Airbus’ expectation of clearing type certification in 2023. Di Bert now states that the airline expects to take delivery of its first A321XLR and 787-10 in the first three months of next year, acknowledging that Air Canada is already “waiting for these aircraft”. He added, “We’re ready to deploy them. We’re managing the business around those parameters and we have been… for a couple of years in anticipation”.
Chief Executive Michael Rousseau emphasized the importance of these aircraft to the company’s long-term plans, saying, “We’re ready to take them in and leverage them as we go forward”.
Current Fleet Challenges
In the meantime, Air Canada is dealing with issues related to its Airbus A220-300 fleet. The company has reached the “peak” of A220-300s grounded due to Pratt & Whitney’s recall of PW1500G geared turbofan engines. Currently, five A220s are in “storage”, meaning they have been grounded for more than 30 days. Chief Commercial Officer Mark Galardo expressed optimism, stating, “We look forward to a progressive return to service of our Airbus A220 fleet”.
Looking ahead, Air Canada anticipates taking deliveries of eight A220s and three Boeing 737 Max 8s for the remainder of 2025. This would bring the airline’s fleet to 42 A220s and 48 737 Max aircraft by the end of the year.
Financially, the company reported a loss of C$102 million ($73 million) during the first quarter, compared to a C$81 million loss during the same period last year. This decline is attributed to a downturn in air traffic in its US and transatlantic markets.
Air Canada’s plans for fleet renewal have encountered delays, pushing the arrival of new Airbus A321XLR and Boeing 787-10 aircraft to 2026. The airline continues to manage current fleet challenges while awaiting the integration of these new aircraft into its operations.
