Air Canada Begins Major Cabin Upgrade Program

Air Canada has launched what it describes as its most comprehensive cabin renewal program to date. The carrier will upgrade the interiors of Airbus and Boeing narrowbodies and regional jets over the next couple of years.

Its Boeing 737-8 fleet will get updated cabins with 12 business class seats, 18 preferred extra legroom economy seats and 147 standard economy seats. The seats will feature personal on-demand inflight entertainment (IFE) screens and Wi-Fi connectivity. All of the 737-8s in Air Canada’s mainline fleet will transition to its low-cost subsidiary Air Canada Rouge through next year.

Air Canada’s Airbus A320s and A321s will be upgraded to the airline’s latest standards, including new seating, IFE and upgraded Wi-Fi. The retrofit program for these fleets is underway, and 15 aircraft have already been completed.

The airline is also upgrading its regional fleet. Air Canada announced upgrades to 25 De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400s in September, including a full redesign with new seating and interiors that incorporate colors, textures and tones that reflect Air Canada’s mainline aircraft interior standards. The aircraft will receive new ergonomic seats from Expliseat, including a table tray and a multi-use device holder for tablets and phones. Select Dash 8-400s flying from Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport will also receive next-generation Wi-Fi, which Air Canada says will be the first time this functionality has been offered on a Dash 8-400 anywhere in the world. Air Canada’s Dash 8-400 upgrades will occur in phases through 2026.

Meanwhile, Embraer E175 and Mitsubishi CRJ-900 Air Canada Express aircraft operated by Jazz will be fitted with Air Canada’s new cabin standard from 2026. The aircraft will also receive next-generation Wi-Fi, with more than half of the fleet installations already completed.

A representative for Air Canada says the A320s, 737s and Dash 8-400s will be completed next year, while the A321s will be completed by early 2027 and the regional jets will be completed by 2027.

“The Air Canada product team designed the products and configurations,” the representative says. “All mainline and Rouge aircraft are being done by third-party MROs [mostly in Canada]. All Jazz aircraft will be done by their own heavy maintenance. For cabin interior work, we typically use third-party providers.”

The airline says upgrades are being performed in various locations. Work on the A320s is being performed in Hamilton, Ontario, while its A321 “Glowing Hearts” refurbishments are taking place in Melbourne, Florida. Its 737-8 upgrades are taking place in Kelowna, British Columbia; its Dash 8-400s are being upgraded in Calgary; and its Embraer and Mitsubishi upgrades are being performed in Halifax.

When asked about specific suppliers and products for the upgrades, the airline said it would provide more details about the interior design in the near future.