By Anthony Bang An
Air Canada has placed 18 firm orders and 12 more options for Boeing 787-10 jets. The aircraft will complement its existing fleet of 787-8 and 787-9 variants and renew its aging fleet. The airline will also cancel its order for two 777 freighters.
In a press release, Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau remarked: “Air Canada has made investing in the passenger experience a core priority. Our experience shows customers greatly enjoy flying on the Dreamliner, so we are pleased to offer them a larger version of this popular aircraft, which will premiere a new, state-of-the-art interior cabin design. As importantly, the 787 is highly fuel efficient and will generate operational savings as well as support our sustainability goals of reducing emissions,”
Fleet Renewal
Air Canada’s current wide-body fleet consists of 777-300ERs, 777-200LRs, 787-8s, 787-9s and A330-300s.
| Model | Number | Ave. Age | Markets served |
| A330-300 | 18 | 17.4 | North Africa, Secondary European cities, BOG & Domestic
Operates out of YUL & YYZ |
| B777-200LR | 6 | 15.9 | YVR-SYD,YYZ-DEL/AMS/TLV & Domestic |
| B777-300ER | 19 | 13.3 | Tokyo, London, Frankfurt, Paris, Athens etc & Domestic |
| B787-8 | 8 | 9.1 | Operates out of YYZ, YUL & YYC |
| B787-9 | 30 | 6.5 | Operates out of YYZ, YUL, YVR & YYC |
Data courtesy of planespotters.net
Though Air Canada has yet to officially confirm what aircraft the new 787-10s will replace, it is safe to speculate that A330-300s will likely be the ones substituted. Air Canada’s oldest A330 is almost 25 years old, which is around the retirement age for the type. Out of the 18 A330-300s Air Canada operates, eight are from an older batch while 10 are transferred from other airlines and are fairly young, ranging from 14 to under 10 years old.
An Air Canada A330-300 (Photo: Air Canada)
As the aircraft are scheduled to be delivered between 2025 and 2027, they will likely replace the entire A330 fleet on a one-to-one basis. The current Air Canada schedule for September 2023 has the A330s operating mainly on routes to Europe and North Africa from Montreal and Toronto. They fly mostly to secondary European cities with the likes of Toulouse, Nice, Venice or Vienna.
An Air Canada Boeing 787 Dreamliner on the taxiway in Los Angeles.
(Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
The Boeing 787 is a popular option when it comes to replacing aging A330s. Singapore Airlines chose 787-10s to replace its A330-300s, a number of which actually went to Air Canada. China Airlines also chose the 787 to replace its older A330s. With the orders, Air Canada will join a short list of airlines to operate all three variants of 787s and achieve a higher level of fleet standardization.
It is also possible for the new 787-10s to replace other types in the Air Canada fleet, especially considering the 12 that are on option. We will be able to gain to clearer picture of the operation of the type when the configurations and seat products are released.
Anthony is an airline enthusiast who also loves traveling. He grew up around the world from St. Louis to Singapore and now lives in Amsterdam. He loves long-haul flying and finds peace in the sound of engine cruising. Fresh out of high school, he aspires to be working in the aviation industry and share his passion for the sky.
