Sporting SES-powered 2Ku inflight connectivity, Collins Aerospace-made seats in business and economy class, and Panasonic Avionics’ next-gen Astrova IFE system from nose to tail, Air Canada’s first Airbus A321XLR entered into revenue service on 9 June and will operate its first transatlantic flight between Montréal and Toulouse, France on 15 June.
Bearing the aptly named registration of C-GXLR, this is the first of 30 A321XLRs earmarked for Air Canada. Its induction heralds the start of “a whole new chapter in how — and where — Air Canada customers can fly,” the airline enthuses.
Resplendent in the carrier’s new Glowing Heart interior aesthetic, the 182-seat twinjet boasts a 1-1-configured Signature Class cabin with 14 door-free lie-flat suites based on Collins’ Aurora platform, and a 3-3 economy class cabin with 168 seats based on Collins’ Meridian+ product.
The doorless, inward-facing suites up front give Air Canada’s crew members a variety of service delivery options, as Collins vice president, global airlines and lessors Cynthia Muklevicz explained to RGN during the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, where the seatmaker prominently displayed the seat complete with Air Canada’s new Glowing Hearted colors, materials and finish (CMF).
Key features of the suites include laptop stowage and a privacy divider that can be raised or lowered.
“We were very deliberate on where we put this divider so that you could channel conversation in the most effective way,” said Muklevicz. “We didn’t want conversation going down the tube of the aircraft, because it’s a single aisle and it could get very, very loud, so where this is, relative to each other, it was really targeting the discussion between the two passengers.”
Based on its experience with other Aurora implementations, Collins anticipates that the sturdy side table in each suite will also be utilized as a perch when, say, a friend, colleague or family member wants to converse with the seated passenger in Signature Class.
Roomer front-row seats in Signature Class are dubbed Signature Class Plus.
Every seat on board the Air Canada A321XLR features Panasonic’s 4K OLED-based Astrova in-seat IFE with Bluetooth connectivity, plus 110V power ports.
Screens are sized 19” up front and 13” down back. Economy class seats are pitched at the industry standard of 31 inches.
High resolution images are piped to the IFE from an exterior two-lens camera system that looks forward and down, giving passengers a similar view to the pilots.
Four lavatories are on board: one in Signature Class and three aft. A larger-footprint lav in economy is described by an airline spokesperson as “accessible.”
The aircraft is fitted with SES’s 2Ku-based IFC solution, the spokesperson confirms, with free Wi-Fi available for Aeroplan loyalty members.
Though the first Air Canada A321XLR debuted on the short-haul Montréal-Toronto route, and is currently plying Montréal-Calgary, the real test of this longhaul narrowbody, its new interior and the carrier’s service delivery will arrive on 15 June with the launch of transatlantic service between Montréal and Toulouse.
Air Canada is acquiring a total of 15 A321XLRs directly from Airbus and will lease 15 of the type from lessors. The twinjets will be used to replace some older aircraft, as part of a multi-year fleet modernization program, but the carrier’s broader strategy is to use the A321XLRs for growth, especially international growth, including to open up new markets.
Continuing to take delivery of new A220s, Air Canada is also preparing to start accepting delivery of Boeing 787-10s this year from a 14-strong order, and eight A350-1000s in the coming years.
“Air Canada is building one of the most capable fleets in the industry. The entry into service of the first Airbus A321XLR marks a transformative moment for Air Canada and the beginning of an exciting new era for our customers, industry partners, and colleagues,” says company EVP and chief commercial officer Mark Galardo.
Related Articles:
- Hello from an Air Canada A321XLR Aurora suite as service flow explained
- Different eras: Trying Air Canada’s oldest and newest cabins
- Blazing fast Internet on an RJ? Air Canada stuns in free Wi-Fi rollout
Featured image and all other images credited to Air Canada except the photo of the privacy divider, which is credited to Mary Kirby.
