Air Canada (AC, Montréal Trudeau) says it operated its last cargo-only flight with a makeshift freighter on May 14, 2022, and will now return the aircraft to passenger service.
Flight AC7272 from Bogotá to Toronto Pearson was operated with the last makeshift converted A330-300, C-GEGC (msn 1006), a 13.2-year-old aircraft that has since been ferried via Vancouver International and Seoul Incheon to Singapore Paya Lebar for conversion back into a passenger aircraft, Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows.
Air Canada was the first airline in the world to deploy its passenger aircraft as makeshift freighters (as opposed to cargo-only flights utilising the bellyhold) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The carrier operated the first such flight on April 18, 2020, and has, in total, deployed eleven A330-300s and B777-300(ER)s without passenger seats throughout the pandemic.
"Developing and sustaining this solution was an incredible group effort from many departments within Air Canada. These aircraft have considerably increased Air Canada's cargo capacity in time of need. It is with mixed emotions that we see this chapter fold, and we're looking forward to working with our new B767-300ER(BDSF) freighters," said Dotane Harel, Director (Regulatory & Operations Process Engineering).
The carrier currently operates two B767-300(ERBDSF)s, converted from its own B767-300ERs. In late April 2022, it ordered two new B767-300Fs from Boeing with deliveries planned in 2023. It also expects to convert at least four more B767s to reach a total freighter fleet of eight aircraft by the end of the next year.
