Oct 3, 2016, 9:53 pm
Last edit by: YVR72
Note: please keep this thread to information on the refurbishment program and its progress; for discussion of which seats are best and other details about the interiors, please visit the seating information thread.
A330-300 Fleet Overview
AC currently has two configurations of 333:
A330-300 Fleet Overview
AC currently has two configurations of 333:
- Dream Cabin (16 aircraft): Latest 3-class configuration in line with the 787 and 777 fleets (seat map)
- The "Merlions" (2 aircraft): ex-Singapore Airlines 2-class configuration (seat map), which are expected to be reconfigured to the Dream Cabin.
- Important note: the front cabin on these aircraft is an angle-flat product in a 2-2-2 layout that was SQ's "regional" business class. On flights within North America, AC sells it as J; on international flights, they sell it as PY. These aircraft do not have the standard AC PY cabin
- Since October 2023, these aircraft primarily operate YYZ>BOG>YUL triangle, and YUL<>LAX.
Code:
32J 24O 241Y: 297 pax C-GFAF (931) Completed @HKG, Oct 01/23 - Dec 09/23 [69 days] C-GFAH (932) Completed @QPG, Aug 10/21 - Oct 05/21 [56 days] C-GFAJ (933) Completed @QPG, Nov 24/21 - Jan 12/22 [49 days] C-GFUR (934) Completed @QPG, Oct 08/19 - Feb 28/20 [143 days] C-GHKR (935) Completed @QPG, Oct 04/21 - Nov 25/21 [52 days] C-GHKW (936) Completed @HKG, Nov 27/21 - Feb 21/22 [86 days] C-GHKX (937) Completed @RFD, Sep 02/20 - May 30/21 [271 days] C-GHLM (938) Completed @HKG, Sep 30/22 - Dec 11/22 [72 days] C-GEFA (939) Completed @RFD, Dec 31/20 - Mar 29/21 [89 days] C-GEGC (940) Completed @QPG, May 17/22 - Jul 21/22 [67 days] C-GEGI (941) Completed @QPG, Jan 10/22 - Mar 11/22 [60 days] C-GEGP (942) Completed @QPG, Nov 06/19 - Jul 01/20 [238 days] C-GHKC (943) Completed @HKG, Feb 21/22 - May 05/22 [73 days] C-GKUG (944) Completed @QPG, Mar 02/20 - Feb 10/21 [345 days] C-GKUH (945) Completed @RFD, Oct 08/20 - Jan 12/21 [99 days] C-GOFV (946) SQ configuration C-GOFW (947) Completed @QPG, Feb 03/22 - May 20/22 [107 days] C-GXZD (948) SQ configuration
Air Canada Airbus A330-300 refurbishments
Jul 9, 2021, 3:11 pm
#976
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: YYC
Programs: AC SE
Posts: 2,342
The AC website still shows layout 2 (old AC configuration) even though AC is not flying any of them right now. Could this indicate that they may bring back stored ones into service without refitting?
https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/...ard/fleet.html
I understand 5 have been refitted, and 4 currently flying cargo are from SQ so I presume they have a different layout - perhaps unlikely they will enter passenger service in those configurations.
The other 7 (with an average age of 20+ years) - I wonder if some of these will return before refitting if demand recovers in 2022. For example, it looks like AC is planning to restart seasonal services to VCE, OTP and BUD next summer which I think were previously rouge destinations (to be fair, if they used 767s on those, even old 330s would be an upgrade).
https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/...ard/fleet.html
I understand 5 have been refitted, and 4 currently flying cargo are from SQ so I presume they have a different layout - perhaps unlikely they will enter passenger service in those configurations.
The other 7 (with an average age of 20+ years) - I wonder if some of these will return before refitting if demand recovers in 2022. For example, it looks like AC is planning to restart seasonal services to VCE, OTP and BUD next summer which I think were previously rouge destinations (to be fair, if they used 767s on those, even old 330s would be an upgrade).
Jul 9, 2021, 5:56 pm
#977
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2014
Programs: AC SE100K-1MM, NH, DL, AA, BA, Global Entry/Nexus, APEC..
Posts: 18,877
The AC website still shows layout 2 (old AC configuration) even though AC is not flying any of them right now. Could this indicate that they may bring back stored ones into service without refitting?
https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/...ard/fleet.html
I understand 5 have been refitted, and 4 currently flying cargo are from SQ so I presume they have a different layout - perhaps unlikely they will enter passenger service in those configurations.
The other 7 (with an average age of 20+ years) - I wonder if some of these will return before refitting if demand recovers in 2022......
https://www.aircanada.com/ca/en/aco/...ard/fleet.html
I understand 5 have been refitted, and 4 currently flying cargo are from SQ so I presume they have a different layout - perhaps unlikely they will enter passenger service in those configurations.
The other 7 (with an average age of 20+ years) - I wonder if some of these will return before refitting if demand recovers in 2022......
Looking at the AC fleet on Planespotters https://www.planespotters.net/airline/Air-Canada ....
Also including a screen shot as that is what is showing today. Might be different the next time someone checks the page.
Interesting # of J seats on the Cargo aircraft.
Jul 9, 2021, 6:49 pm
#978
Join Date: Nov 2020
Posts: 40
Jul 9, 2021, 9:55 pm
#979
Suspended
Join Date: May 2021
Posts: 13
There are two a330’s in the old configuration that will be operating shortly, although they will be limited to domestic and Florida flying as much as possible. Higher than anticipated demand is blamed for this: there was no plan for these older configured aircraft to ever fly until they were refurb’d
Jul 10, 2021, 7:00 am
#980
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Vancouver
Programs: AC SE100K 1MM, FB Platinum, Bonvoy Platinum Elite, IHG Gold Elite, Hilton Gold
Posts: 1,603
There are two a330’s in the old configuration that will be operating shortly, although they will be limited to domestic and Florida flying as much as possible. Higher than anticipated demand is blamed for this: there was no plan for these older configured aircraft to ever fly until they were refurb’d
Jul 11, 2021, 7:18 am
#981
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Toronto, ON
Programs: AC 75K
Posts: 6,360
Good that demand has picked up, but not great as far as passenger experience goes. AC has a reconfigured bird (944) sitting in VCV which I assume will be back in service shortly as well as what is supposedly a reconfigured bird in SIN (937). They also have 6 perfectly good 77L's sitting in the desert. Not sure why they can't bring those back into service ahead of the old configuration A330's. They are almost the same number of seats. I know they burn more fuel on shorter routes, but they have a much nice cabin (at least in J) - maybe I have answered my own question with fuel burn and trip costs.
Jul 11, 2021, 4:05 pm
#982
Join Date: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,125
Good that demand has picked up, but not great as far as passenger experience goes. AC has a reconfigured bird (944) sitting in VCV which I assume will be back in service shortly as well as what is supposedly a reconfigured bird in SIN (937). They also have 6 perfectly good 77L's sitting in the desert. Not sure why they can't bring those back into service ahead of the old configuration A330's. They are almost the same number of seats. I know they burn more fuel on shorter routes, but they have a much nice cabin (at least in J) - maybe I have answered my own question with fuel burn and trip costs.
Jul 11, 2021, 4:17 pm
#983
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Vancouver
Programs: AC SE100K 1MM, FB Platinum, Bonvoy Platinum Elite, IHG Gold Elite, Hilton Gold
Posts: 1,603
Bringing back only 1 or 2 77Ls is also problematic for maintenance, You can't just swap in an A330 when the 77L is unavailable because you need a different crew to fly it, and you have to have a different crew already positioned at the outstation to fly it back (unless it's a short trip). It makes more sense from an operations perspective to bring back a few more A330s, even if some still have the old pods.
Jul 11, 2021, 6:13 pm
#985
Suspended
Join Date: May 2021
Posts: 13
There are currently A330 bases in YYZ and YUL for pilots, and 777 bases in YVR YYZ and YUL, although the YUL base is very very small.
Jul 11, 2021, 6:16 pm
#986
Suspended
Join Date: Apr 2021
Posts: 27
I have been told there are not enough captains trained on the B777 to bring more back. The A330 still has numerous crew idling / not being used frequently to operate.
Jul 12, 2021, 3:33 am
#987
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Vancouver
Programs: AC SE100K 1MM, FB Platinum, Bonvoy Platinum Elite, IHG Gold Elite, Hilton Gold
Posts: 1,603
Back on topic - any idea when the frames in RFD are going to come back into service?
Jul 12, 2021, 3:55 pm
#988
Join Date: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,125
You mean the 77Ls? I wouldn't expect to see them back until there is a demand for premium-heavy ultra-long flights, or until all other planes are back in service and there is still a shortage of aircraft. In other words, not anytime soon.
Jul 12, 2021, 4:04 pm
#989
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Vancouver
Programs: AC SE100K 1MM, FB Platinum, Bonvoy Platinum Elite, IHG Gold Elite, Hilton Gold
Posts: 1,603
The 77L's are in the desert. I was talking about the A330's being refurbished in RFD.