tcook052

Weird as it may seem folks this isn't a BA Concorde thread so let's please focus on the thread topic which is AC A330 retirement plans.

tcook052
AC forum Mod.

flybit

there is not much of a market for ac used 330's, however with the Airbus 320 going to scrap heap, less and less Airbus pilots needed.
It would he great to order some A350, for 2021 when the 777L come off lease.

also a great time to put in a competitive J seat. (Delta/AA/UA will all have superior J seats )

767300ER

I don't mind flying the A-330 but if they plan to keep the 8 of them active for the next couple of years they should retrofit them to the new J cabin. There is a large proportion of European flights using the A-330 and I try to avoid them the best I can and connect in cities supported by 787 or 777. My understanding was they were originally planned to be retired as the 789-900 were delivered but now they seemed to be in the plan for a while. Hope than AC will revise their decision and retrofit these planes to new cabin so they can offer a constant J product across the fleet..

Orcair

As much as I wish that were the case, I think they would have done it when they added PY. Thus, I think we're probably stuck with the current pods until the 333s retire.

The Lev

Not sure where people get the idea that AC sends their 320's to the scrap heap. This site will show you that their 320's have gone on to other smaller airlines.
http://www.airfleets.net/flottecie/A...story-a320.htm

AC owns the majority of their 777. They did do some sale and leasebacks but only on a relatively small part of their fleet. So I don't see them switching to the A350 anytime soon.

24left

Leased vs owned, according to:

https://www.planespotters.net/airline/Air-Canada


.

flybit

AC's 767 have got to be coming to D check soon, and i cant imagine them spending the money on that.
330's are clearly an oddball plane in AC fleet.

A350-900 isnt really a replacement for either 767/330, ( but wow it would be nice)so AC could also exercise its options for more 787 and we the customer get more Rouge cramped seats in the back.
the real problem is selling very used 330's into a flooded market, the 767 will be parked when they hit D check.

The Lev

Doubtful - the presentation says that Rouge will continue to fly 767's and A320 series, so at least in rouge configuration it appears that they will do D checks - I suspect eventually all remaining 763's will migrate to rouge as they hit milestones that allow them to go beyond 50 aircraft.

joejohns1983

talk about wishful thinking.
its well documented that AC management is incredibly happy with the Boeing line - I doubt you will see any A350’s in the short to medium term and likely even the long term as the investor presentation showed “up to 25 777” in their fleet plans which would be up from the current count and the 787’s are brand spanking new so unlikely they’d be replaced.

as for those speculating on the paint job - a paint job is typically done with certain checks - likely they were due and that’s why they are being redone and it has little implication on whether or not they will keep them. The fact that they didn’t install the new J cabin is more of a tell that they will likely be phased out. AC’s mainline strategy is more about premium long haul flying and so a consistent J product is crucial to their plans - they specifically list the 333’s as swing capacity since they own 8 of them outright and they can park them whenever they want.

Jagboi

Interesting that there are only 4 active (i.e not scrapped or stored) 320's that are older than AC's oldest 320.

capedreamer

The lack on center overhead bins in J is another serious shortcoming of this type. Had to store my bag by 7A while I'm seated in 1G.

Transpacificflyer

I note the comments on the age of the the AC AB 319/320 fleet. Yes, it certainly is rather old, but so too is Delta's. The DL average age of a 320 is 22 years. The DL AB330 average age is 9.6 years. You can't really tell on some of the DL AB aircraft because the company keeps its aircraft in relatively good shape. IMO, even in its worst days, the DL cabins were never as decrepit and filthy as Air Canada's. I believe that DL made an effort to clean up the NW aircraft it took on in 2009. Almost 10 years ago, but they did it. It's one thing to hold onto an old plane. It's another to keep it clean and up to date.

The AC fleet with the 16.9 year old AB 330s, and the 320s at 23.8 years show their age. The J class seats of the AC 320's are uncomfortable and distinguished by too much space grabbing plastic and decades of caked on grime and filth. I haven't been on an AB330 in the past 5 years when there hasn't been a problem with the IFE or a J pax seat or the water supply. I seem to fly on the AB320s that have lav issues with no water or blocked toilets or no air vent system for the lavs.

I expect that someone will be along to tell me I am wrong and that one can eat off the AC lav floors and that the seats smell like fresh fluffy beds at the Four Seasons and not like the futon at the Kit Kat Beer Bar & Short Time Love Station in Phnom Penh. So.............., I'll just say, this has been my experience. And I am a hypocrite, because I see that I am booked on an AB330 tcon, I did that because I didn't want to pay a ridiculous J class airfare to sit for 5 hours in a cramped AB320 seat with its worn out seat cushion.

Stranger

Actually the seats on the 320 are not all that old. The interior was refurbished a while ago, so the interiors are nowhere near as old as the planes themselves.

Oldest A320s entered in service in 1990 so they are 27 years old BTW.