Air Canada’s latest schedules showed that, instead of operating its first Airbus A321XLR commercial flight in May, the Canadian carrier has pushed back the type’s introduction to June 1, 2026.
Per Cirium’s Diio Mi, with the latest schedule update, Air Canada moved its first A321XLR’s entry-into-service (EIS) date from May 1 to June 1, with the type scheduled to fly from Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL) to Toulouse Blagnac Airport (TLS).
Air Canada’s booking engine also confirmed that on that day, the A321XLR will fly between YUL and TLS. The day before, on May 31, the route will be operated with a Boeing 787-8.
As of last week, the airline had scheduled the type to enter commercial service on a domestic itinerary from YUL to Calgary International Airport (YYC). That flight is now scheduled to be flown with a 737 MAX 8, a type that is gradually being moved from the mainline fleet to Air Canada Rouge.
Nevertheless, Air Canada’s A321XLR schedule in June currently includes the routes displayed below:
In July, in addition to the transatlantic hops to Edinburgh Airport (EDI), Porto Airport (OPO), and TLS, Air Canada will operate A321XLRs to Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) and Nantes Atlantique Airport (NTE).
Initially, in September 2025, Air Canada said its A321XLRs would be delivered in Q1 2026 and later, fly between YUL and Palma de Mallorca Airport (PMI) starting June 17. In December 2025, the carrier switched the aircraft on the route from the A321XLR to the 787-8.
Then, in October 2025, the airline confirmed that the A321XLR would also fly from YUL to EDI, Dublin Airport (DUB), PMI, and TLS, with Alexandre Lefevre, the Vice President of Network Planning of North America and Scheduling at Air Canada, saying that the carrier will “have some testing and certification going on in the early months of 2026.”
On February 27, Air Canada released footage of its first-ever A321XLR, to be registered as C-GXLR, operating its first flight. The Pratt & Whitney PW1100G-powered aircraft, leased from Air Lease Corporation, departed and returned to Hamburg Finkenwerder Airport (XFW).
However, Aviation Flights Group records show that the airframe, which has a test registration of D-AVZG, was first spotted in primer without its engines at XFW on July 24, 2025. It was seen with its engines only in December 2025.
Air Canada has a total of 30 A321XLRs on order.
Rytis Beresnevicius
