Adam Smith

767s burn more fuel, but they're cheap to acquire. Classic capex vs opex trade-off. When WS first expanded in to widebodies, one of their senior execs commented that over a multi-year period, the total cost to own and fly 767s was similar to 787s.

7M8s aren't really a replacement for 763s though. The rouge 763s have 282 total seats. At most, in the MAX 200 flavour that has been ordered by Ryanair, a 737-8 can seat 200. And the 7M8 doesn't have the range to handle all the routes the 763 does.
​​​​​​
At the margin, they can downgauge a route or two from 763 to 319/321 and park a 763, but 7M8s really aren't a replacement for 763s on a macro level.

pitz

AC can barely sell domestic J even with heavy discounting, let alone have a market for an even more premium-er product than such. So not a chance until such time that the market changes in Canada sufficiently.

If something happens that creates a lot more people in the $3-$20M net worth range, or business actually starts paying for business class, then it certainly could be a possibility. But I think the happy balance is the occasional dispatch, particularly on the overnight redeyes, of internationally configured widebodies for repositioning flights.

The long US transcons are vibrant for that product because the east coast finance industry, and the west coast entertainment industry (including most of what passes for Silicon Valley which is largely entertainment, not actually IT) has bestowed enormous amounts of wealth on its participants. Also, there is very little domestic widebody repositioning needed in the US unlike in Canada with AC's widebody maintenance organization largely based in YYZ and YUL.

pitz

They'll go to KANC, I can pretty much guarantee you that, at some point or another. Probably even ex-YYZ in the summer, a mission that is outside of the 319/320/321's capabilities @ slightly over 3000nm.

DNAwizard

That would be my guess as well. Hawaii going back to mainline on 7M8 and deploying Rouge aircrafts on other (new?) routes.

YYC009

I thought YVR-ANC went to Rouge? So ANC would be a Rouge destination...

The only way AC introduces a YYZ-ANC is for cruise season. Still, I figure a larger aircraft ex-YVR (Rouge B767) or just double daily (Rouge A319 x2) would be announced before that (YYZ-ANC) happens.

The Lev

Nothing prevents AC from using Rouge 763's to high-volume destinations in Hawaii and mainline to lower volume ones.

Presumably within a decade the 319's will need to be retired and will be replaced by 7M8's - but that's not what I meant.

After Burner

Given that KANC is Rockhampton, Australia, I can 100% guarantee you they won't be doing that 8,000nm route.

After Burner

Fleet constraints. It's almost certain AC is not spending the extra money to equip all the 7M8s for oceanic operations. I believe the current A320 fleet has just two fins equipped for oceanic flights (for Bermuda). They will probably do something similar with the 7M8 fleet.

flybit

lots of cheap 319 around its not a desirable plane.

bigger question is Rouge now has permission to grow what plane will AC use? Lots of cheap 330's coming onto the market soon, and the good 767's are harder to find.

The Lev

I don't think they'll equip all 7M8's for oceanic operations, but I'm betting it will be more than two. Lots of potentially tempting destinations in Europe with insufficient volume for a widebody could be profitable with the 7M8 on a seasonal basis then swung to Hawaii service over the winter. .

After Burner

Europe is not an issue. The North Atlantic route has VHF coverage. Bermuda and Hawaii do not.

ChrisA330

The Lev

Aren't extra life rafts required for Europe?

I was under the impression that AC had to use specially equipped A320's for YYT-LHR.

YYT82

After Burner

I don't know, but you're probably right about that. But my understanding is that the really (surprisingly) expensive requirement is HF radio, which is needed for TPAC and Bermuda. On a relatively inexpensive private airplane HF can cost $100-200k. I can only imagine the cost on a 737.