Air Canada’s new long-range Airbus A321XLR will fly a 54-minute hop between Montreal and Ottawa this winter, putting transatlantic lie-flat seats on one of the airline’s shortest routes.
Air Canada will fly its lie-flat-equipped Airbus A321XLR on a 54-minute flight between Montreal and Ottawa starting Dec. 21, according to new winter schedule filings.
The route pairs an aircraft built for long-haul travel with one of the shortest hops in Air Canada’s network. The A321XLR can fly up to 11 hours and as far as 4,700 nautical miles, putting it firmly in transatlantic territory. On the Montreal-to-Ottawa run, it will be airborne for less time than many passengers spend in the security line.
The service will operate just once a week, from Dec. 21 through Jan. 5, connecting Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL) with Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport (YOW). It’s part of a broader winter deployment of the A321XLR across Air Canada’s North American and European route map.
A Long-Haul Cabin on a Short Hop
Passengers booking the brief Ottawa flight will board the same cabin Air Canada uses on transatlantic crossings. The A321XLR carries 182 seats: 14 lie-flat Signature Class suites up front and 168 economy seats in back. It’s the first time a Canadian carrier has offered fully lie-flat seating on a single-aisle aircraft.
“For our premium customers, the A321XLR will offer the only lie-flat seats on a single-aisle aircraft for a Canadian carrier as it crosses the Atlantic and connects destinations across North America,” said Mark Galardo, Air Canada’s executive vice president and chief commercial officer, and president of cargo, in a June 9 statement marking the aircraft’s entry into commercial service.
Fleet Rollout Still Underway
Air Canada has 30 A321XLRs on order — 15 leased and 15 purchased directly — and had received two of them as of late June. The airline took delivery of its first A321XLR on April 24 in Hamburg, Germany, becoming the first Canadian operator of the type. The aircraft entered commercial service June 9 on flight AC413 from Montreal to Toronto, followed by its first transatlantic crossing, to Toulouse, France, on June 15.
Yves Beauchamp, president and CEO of ADM Aéroports de Montréal, called the aircraft’s launch from Montreal-Trudeau “a core part of the development and expansion of Air Canada and YUL,” adding that it would “open up new markets and strengthen Montreal’s international connectivity.”
Expanding Across North America
Montreal is emerging as Air Canada’s busiest hub for A321XLR operations this winter. Beyond the Ottawa route, the aircraft will fly Toronto to Calgary daily starting Dec. 16, and the Toronto-to-Los Angeles route (flights AC791/794) daily from Dec. 15. A separate Montreal-to-Los Angeles service begins Oct. 25, with an additional rotation added Nov. 15. The aircraft will also link Toronto and Montreal two to three times a week between Oct. 25 and Jan. 7.
Montreal will gain additional A321XLR service to San Francisco daily starting Jan. 15, alongside brief pre-Christmas service to Miami and new December flights to Halifax and Bridgetown, Barbados.
Shifting European Schedules
On the transatlantic side, Air Canada has adjusted several A321XLR start dates for the winter. Four-times-weekly service from Halifax to London Heathrow, replacing the Boeing 737 MAX 8, was pushed back from Dec. 1 to Dec. 17 and will become daily starting March 28. Three-times-weekly Ottawa-to-London service, replacing four weekly Airbus A330 flights, shifted from Dec. 2 to Dec. 16.
From Montreal, A321XLR frequency to Lisbon will drop from five weekly flights to three, supplemented by a fourth flight using the A330, starting Oct. 24. The aircraft will also replace Boeing 787-8 service from Toronto to Copenhagen and Manchester, England, starting in mid-November.
Built for the Transatlantic Mission
The A321XLR’s range comes from a permanent rear center fuel tank and Pratt & Whitney GTF engines that Air Canada says cut fuel burn by 30% per seat compared with previous-generation aircraft. The plane can run on up to 50% sustainable aviation fuel today, with Airbus targeting 100% SAF compatibility by 2030.
Air Canada is Canada’s largest airline and a founding member of Star Alliance, operating to more than 180 airports across six continents. It holds a four-star Skytrax ranking, and its Aeroplan loyalty program counts more than 10 million members.
Air Canada isn’t alone in bringing lie-flat seats to single-aisle jets. Spain’s Iberia became the A321XLR’s launch customer, flying the world’s first transatlantic A321XLR service between Madrid and Boston in November 2024. JetBlue and Aer Lingus already fly lie-flat suites on the related A321LR, and American Airlines has announced lie-flat seating for its own incoming A321XLRs.
Key Takeaways
- Air Canada will fly its lie-flat-equipped Airbus A321XLR on a 54-minute Montreal-to-Ottawa route once a week from Dec. 21 to Jan. 5.
- The A321XLR’s 14 Signature Class seats make Air Canada the first Canadian airline to offer lie-flat seating on a single-aisle aircraft.
- Air Canada has 30 A321XLRs on order and has received two so far; the aircraft entered service June 9 with its first transatlantic flight, to Toulouse, on June 15.
- The aircraft is expanding across Air Canada’s North American network this winter, including new or adjusted service to Calgary, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Halifax and Bridgetown.
- In Europe, the A321XLR is replacing Boeing 737 MAX 8, Airbus A330 and Boeing 787-8 aircraft on routes to London, Lisbon, Copenhagen and Manchester.