Air Canada (AC, Montréal Trudeau) is in the process of sealing additional B737-8 lease agreements, it announced during 2024’s first quarter financial results.
These new airframes are scheduled for delivery in 2024 and will enter into commercial service in 2025 once reconfigured. “Due to tight capacity in the industry, we are looking for extra aircraft. We’re still negotiating these agreements, but once we have a final deal, we will announce how many planes and other details,” the company told ch-aviation.
The ch-aviation fleets module shows that Air Canada operates forty MAX 8s out of a fleet of 251 aircraft. All of these planes were ordered on March 31 by the Canadian carrier, and the company currently owns 31. The remaining nine are owned by Jackson Square Aviation (three) and Avolon (six).
Additionally, the company expects to welcome one B787-9, two A330-300s, and two A220-300s in the coming months. It has 55 aircraft on order, including twenty-seven A220-300s, ten A321-200NY(XLR)s, and eighteen B787-10s.
Pratt & Whitney GTF impact
Air Canada confirmed it has between six and seven planes on the ground due to the ongoing Pratt & Whitney GTF engine recall. Mark Galardo, the company's executive vice president of revenue and network planning, said Air Canada is currently discussing compensation with the engine manufacturer.
While the carrier does not operate the Airbus A320neo and A321neo variants, it does have thirty-three A220-300s powered with the PW1000 engine. Other carriers globally, such as JetBlue Airways, have also seen some A220 groundings.
In the first quarter of 2024, Air Canada reported operating revenues of CAD5.2 billion Canadian dollars (USD3.8 billion) and a net loss of CAD81 million (USD59.2 million).
