Air Canada is eyeing the possibility of year-round service to London’s Heathrow airport following the arrival of its new Airbus A321XLR fleet.
The airline announced it is offering four-times-weekly service to Heathrow on Boeing 787 Dreamliners starting March 31, 2025, and is eyeing expansion after the scheduled arrival of its first A321XLRs later that year.
“The economics, optimum cabin size and range of the XLR … will enable us to consider operating this important international route with greater frequencies and potentially with year-round service,” said Mark Galardo, executive vice-president of revenue and network planning at Air Canada.”
Airbus announced in 2022 that Air Canada had ordered six A321XLRs and was adding an additional 20 aircraft of the type through lessors.
The first of these aircraft is expected to arrive toward the end of 2025. Their stated range of 4,700 nautical miles enables long-haul flights, and fuel consumption is 30 percent less per seat compared with previous-generation aircraft, Airbus said.
Air Canada is significantly expanding its services from Ottawa, operating up to 229 weekly flights to and from the capital city on a range of regional, domestic, international and transborder flights.
“In addition to London being a top global destination, Heathrow is one of the world’s primary global gateways as well as home to Air Canada’s largest international operations,” said Galardo.
