Air Canada will return two Boeing 767-300ERs to its fleet next year, Aviation A2Z reports. Due to the need to supplement capacity and compensate for delays in the delivery of individual aircraft, Canada’s national airline is forced to return previously retired aircraft to service in 2025.
The two aircraft in question are C-FOCA and C-GLCA, both of which will be over 34 years old at the time of their return into service. In 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Air Canada retired the last Boeing 767s, only to return them from stored status to active service. Before the pandemic, the aforementioned type of aircraft flew for Air Canada mainly on domestic routes and routes to the USA, while more recently it has also flown to other international destinations, including Zagreb, mostly with its leisure brand Air Canada Rouge.
C-FOCA was delivered to Canadian Airlines in June 1990, and after the merger with Air Canada was transferred to Air Canada in 2001. C-GLCA was also originally delivered to Canadian Airlines in 1991 and was transferred to Air Canada in 2001. It briefly also flew leased to Qantas. Both aircraft were grounded and stored in June 2020.
Air Canada is currently in a fleet renewal project that includes the arrival of 90 aircraft over the next 5 years. Seven are still expected this year (five 737 MAX and two A220), 21 in 2025 (one 787-9, two mentioned 767-300ER, seven 737 MAX, two A321XLR, and nine A220) and a total of 62 aircraft in the period from 2026. until 2029 (18 787-10, 28 A321XLR and 16 A220).
Air Canada should have no problem training its flight crew, given that cargo versions of the Boeing 767 continue to fly today for Canada’s national carrier.
