Air Canada switches widebody capacity for narrowbody frequency with new Airbus A321XLR Porto flights
October 25, 2025
Air Canada has filed its fifth transatlantic Airbus A321XLR route,, as reported by Aerospace Global News in Saturday’s European long-haul schedule update. Services between Montreal (YUL), Canada and Porto (OPO), Portugal, will operate with the airline’s Airbus narrowbodies as of next summer, replacing its Airbus A330s that flew the route this year.
The difference in seat capacity is fairly significant between the two types. As such, Air Canada will be increasing weekly frequencies on the services from three to five.
This move will improve its competitive position in the market. Canadian rival Air Transat already operates its own fleet of Airbus A321LRs on the route during the summer season. It also flies year-round between Toronto (YYZ) and Porto. By deploying its own Airbus narrowbodies on the route at a higher frequency, Air Canada will offer customers more choice at a lower overall cost thanks to the aircraft’s preferable economics.
Air Canada’s fifth transatlantic A321XLR route is to Porto
According to schedules filed to aviation analytics firm Cirium this weekend, Air Canada will be replacing its widebodies on the route to Porto from 1 June, 2026. The Porto flight, which was launched in June last year, will benefit from five weekly frequencies during this period.
In June, part of the frequencies will operate with the A321XLR, and others with a Boeing 787-8. From July, all flights will be with the narrowbody aircraft.
The Airbus A330s that flew the route this year have 297 seats, while the 787-8s have 255. The A321XLRs, on the other hand, are configured with 182 seats, comprising 4 lie-flat seats in Business Class and 168 seats in Economy. Unsurprisingly, the focus is clearly on leisure passengers, rather than those travelling for business reasons.
Cirium data shows that in 2025, Air Canada provided up to 3,753 monthly seats with its A330s on the sector. Next year, with the five weekly A321XLRs, this will increase to just over 4,000. This is very similar to Air Transat’s offering from Montreal, though the Canadian leisure carrier also offers a further 6,000 seats from Toronto.
Porto joins these four European cities to be served by Air Canada’s A321XLR
Porto will become the third longest (or third shortest) A321XLR route that Air Canada has announced until now. The others – all departing from Montreal – are listed as follows, ordered by distance:
- Palma de Mallorca, Spain (3,777 miles)
- Toulouse, France (3,570 miles)
- Edinburgh, Scotland (3,032 miles)
- Dublin, Ireland (2,974 miles)
Porto, at 3,201 miles, sits in the middle.
The airline is expected to announce additional routes for its new narrowbodies. Air Canada is betting on secondary cities in Europe for its narrowbody transatlantic expansion. With less capacity and overall operating costs, the A321XLR is the perfect tool to open new long-haul routes at a lower risk.
American Airlines recently received its first A321XLR and is expected to reveal the first transatlantic destinations from New York-JFK shortly. All eyes are on North America, as Airbus’ game-changing narrowbody jet continues to redraw transatlantic route maps.
Featured image: Air Canada
