Air Canada could soon be flying new Airbus fleet out of Mississauga’s Pearson Airport

Air Canada could soon be flying a new fleet of longer-distance Airbus passenger jets out of Pearson Airport in Mississauga as it responds to increased travel demand brought about by declining COVID-19 numbers.

Canada’s flagship carrier is reportedly in talks with European-based Airbus SE in an effort to add 10 to 20 A321neo passenger planes to its fleet, which runs more flights out of Pearson than anywhere else.

The new Airbus jets would complement Air Canada’s fleet of Boeing 737 narrowbodies as travel demand picks up once again in Canada and around the world.

Negotiations between Air Canada officials and Airbus are reportedly in the preliminary stages and there’s no guarantee a deal will be struck, according to U.S.-based Bloomberg News.

An Airbus A321neo like this one, in fact as many as 10 to 20, may soon be operated by Air Canada if preliminary talks lead to a deal. (Photo: Flightglobal)

Air Canada has been an established operator of the Airbus original A320 family, but chose to go the Boeing 737 Max route when making the switch some years ago to new-generation planes.

Now, it’s looking to bring aboard 10 or more of the A321neo jets, which can carry 220 people in two classes over greater distances than the rival Max 10.

Last year, Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau hinted that the Airbus A321LR (long range) models potentially have a place in the Canadian carrier’s fleet as it moves forward post-pandemic.

The A321, valued by airlines for its combination of capacity and range, is in short supply with production backlogs in the years.

Earlier this week, Air Canada announced plans for dozens more flights–both North American and worldwide–to be added to its schedule in spring and summer of this year.