Air Canada has selected Palma de Mallorca in Spain as the first new destination to be served using its incoming Airbus A321XLR fleet, signaling the start of a new chapter in the carrier’s long-haul narrowbody strategy.
Deliveries of the type will begin in the first quarter of 2026, ahead of the launch of seasonal Montreal–Palma service on June 17, operating four times per week through Oct. 24. The aircraft will also be used on existing routes, including year-round Montreal–Toulouse and seasonal Montreal–Edinburgh sectors.
“The wait is nearly over as the imminent arrival of the game-changing Airbus A321XLR marks the next phase of international growth at Air Canada,” says Air Canada Executive Vice President and CCO Mark Galardo. “This revolutionary narrowbody aircraft unlocks new, exciting global opportunities with its widebody range and enhanced onboard product.”
With a 4,700-nm (5,408-mi.) range and trip costs that Airbus estimate can be up to 50% lower than widebodies, the A321XLR gives Air Canada the flexibility to sustain year-round service in secondary markets that cannot support larger aircraft, enabling it to offer thinner routes.
The Star Alliance member already serves Madrid and Barcelona in Spain and will become the second North American carrier to operate to Palma, joining United Airlines, which has flown the seasonal Newark–Palma route since 2022. United currently operates four roundtrips per week with Boeing 767-400s, according to OAG Schedules Analyser.
Air Canada has 30 A321XLRs on order, with up to 10 expected to arrive in 2026. The aircraft will be configured with 182 seats, including 14 lie-flat signature class seats—the first time the carrier has offered a widebody-style premium cabin on a narrowbody aircraft.
Speaking at Routes Europe 2025 in April, Nicholas Draganovici, Air Canada’s senior manager of network and fleet strategy, said the A321XLR is central to the carrier’s plan to strengthen its hubs, particularly Montreal.
“Montreal’s location in the northeast really captures a lot of the North American passenger demand over to Europe,” he said. “We’ve focused on itineraries building into secondary points into the U.S., leveraging destinations already operated out of Toronto. The XLR will allow us to expand those unique connection points and further grow and leverage our geography further east.”
Air Canada’s adoption of the XLR puts it in the company of early operators Iberia, Aer Lingus and Wizz Air. Iberia launched the first long-haul service with the aircraft in November 2024 on Madrid–Boston, before adding Washington service in April this year. The Spanish carrier will further expand XLR operations to Recife and Fortaleza, Brazil, from mid-December, before adding flights to San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, during the first quarter of 2026.
Meanwhile, Aer Lingus has deployed the aircraft on flights from Dublin to Nashville, Indianapolis and Minneapolis, while Wizz Air began operations on London Gatwick–Jeddah in May. However, Wizz in July confirmed that it will substantially scale back its 47-aircraft A321XLR order as it moves away from “hot and harsh” environments following the decision to shut down its Abu Dhabi joint venture.
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