Am YOW based and like to see the service, but is it a plausible scenario that they just don't continue YOW-LHR service? I haven't seen that mentioned, everyone assumes they will find a way with Max8, 330 or 321.

Anything could happen and we're all just speculating. AC won't fly the route if it does not generate enough profit. They will fly it if they can make it work. Clearly right now they can make it work with a 767.

Just taxiing in to YOW and I noticed that AC888 is being operated by a 787-9 tonight. I am sure it is just a 767 gone mechanical, but it was a nice rare sight.

Gives me hope AC could operate 888 and/or 838 with one in the summer time. ;)

Ooo... nice. One reason I avoided 888 was because of the 763 (although based out of YYZ, there were times going out of YOW was better for my schedule)

Mechanical indeed. FIN641 stuck in YYZ for engine swap

But it is good to have working engines - no?

I'm guessing 788's for S2020. 767's are slated to retire in 2019.

You guessed correctly. ^

That's reassuring. Although it's what happens in fall 2020 that worries me.

I wouldn’t worry. AC have already said the 788 will be used on the route year-round. It’ll probably operate at 6x weekly in winter just like the 763. YOW has long needed more Euro capacity.

The other good news with this is it should ensure a 788 on a Rapidair as I would imagine no other LHR flight will be operated with a 788, as is currently the case with the 763.

That is really good news. Especially combined with the announcement that LH will operate YOW-FRA 5x weekly next summer.

Yeah, very good news!

I just noticed that AC has loaded the 788 (B787-8) into their online schedules for flight AC888 (YOW-LHR) as of April 1, 2020. Interestingly, the return flight, AC889 (LHR-YOW) is also starting 788 service as of April 1, 2020. I would have thought it would start April 2, 2020.

Maybe all these dates are subject to change...

It is not surprising that the LHR-YOW flight is the first 788 flight. The 788 has to come from YYZ (it's most common base) and it is more likely that it will do a route such as YYZ-LHR-YOW-LHR-YYZ rather than a YYZ-YOW positioning flight.