Air Canada Airbus A321XLR rendering
Air Canada has announced an expanded winter season network, including an Airbus A321XLR base at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ). The Canadian airline said that it will leverage the base at the airport to extend its services to Copenhagen Airport (CPH) and Manchester Airport (MAN) beyond the summer season in late 2026.
On January 28, 2026, Air Canada unveiled even more additions to its winter season network, following a previous announcement that it would launch seasonal flights between Vancouver International Airport (YVR) and Sapporo New Chitose Airport (CTS), with more flights to Latin America and Europe.
The Canadian carrier emphasized that its A321XLR base at YYZ will enable the continuation of its flights from the airport to CPH to MAN into the winter season, with the YYZ base complementing “a previously announced [A321XLR] base” at Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL).
Despite the airline highlighting the A321XLR base, it already had year-round services between YYZ and CPH, with Air Canada reducing frequencies during the winter season on the route, which it has operated with either the Airbus A330-300 (select months), the Boeing 787-8, or 787-9, in the past few years, according to Cirium’s Diio Mi.
YYZ-MAN is a different story and is actually seasonal. During the summer 2025 season, the route was first operated with an A330-300, later switching to the 787-8/787-9. Air Canada will fly the 787-9 between YYZ and MAN during the summer season three times per week, per the currently filed schedules.
“Both routes will be operated onboard the airline’s newest fleet type, the Airbus A321XLR, featuring the first Air Canada narrowbody aircraft to offer Signature Class lie-flat seats.”
In addition to YYZ-CPH and YYZ-MAN, Air Canada has offered seasonal YUL-CPH flights.
Cirium’s Diio Mi’s current schedules showed that in July, during the peak travel season, Air Canada has planned 29 weekly flights with the A321XLR, including one domestic route, between YUL and Calgary International Airport (YYC).
The carrier’s four A321XLR international routes are from YUL to Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER), Nantes Atlantique Airport (NTE), Porto Airport (OPO), and Toulouse Blagnac Airport (TLS).
In September 2025, Air Canada said that its first A321XLR destination would be Palma de Mallorca Airport (PMI), with the first planned delivery of the type in Q1 2026, and a planned service entry in June.
This week, Air Canada modified its schedule and shifted all of YUL-PMI flights to be operated with a 787-8, per Cirium’s Diio Mi.
The Canadian carrier will configure its A321XLRs with 14 lie-flat business class seats and 168 economy class seats, totaling 182. In comparison, American Airlines has 20 lie-flat suites, 12 premium economy, and 123 economy seats, for a total of 155, while Iberia’s A321XLRs can welcome up to 14 business class and 168 economy class passengers, or a total of 182, offering an identical number of seats as Air Canada.
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