Air Canada’s first upgraded Airbus A321 aircraft has taken to the skies and introduces several revolutionary features that will set it aside from other narrowbody planes.
On October 21, 2023, flight AC692 was the first time passengers had the opportunity to test out the carrier’s latest gadgets and gizmos that have been installed as part of a fleet upgrade.
The star attraction was the aircraft’s new exterior cameras which are connected to the jet’s seatback entertainment system.
In a first for narrowbody aircraft, passengers were given a pilot’s eye view of the take-off from the comfort of their seats.
The new cameras are part of Air Canada’s investment in the carrier’s Airbus A321s and A320s.
The upgraded aircraft will benefit from a new cabin interior, new technologies and services such as Bluetooth audio, and free high-speed internet sponsored by Bell.
“We’re proud to welcome customers on board to experience the comfort, convenience, and connectivity of our latest cabins. These upgraded fleet interiors will align the A320s and A321s to the highly popular A220 experience, further strengthening our industry leading product offering,” Mark Nasr, Executive Vice President, Loyalty and Product at Air Canada, said.
Nasr added: “Additionally, new features such as our in-flight entertainment system streaming exterior aircraft camera feeds, Bluetooth connectivity, and free, fast internet connectivity will be extremely popular with travelers. We will continue advancing our product leadership by trialing more new in-flight experiences with this A321 and expanding those learnings to additional aircraft in our fleet.”
The upgraded cabins will also feature the latest Airbus Airspace XL overhead bin design that will also be installed on the Airbus A321XLRs.
New seating which is designed to “optimize passenger personal space, improve ergonomics, and provide more storage giving customers a more comfortable experience”.
Full color LED mood lighting which will allow different ambiances to be set depending on time of day and phase of flight and there will be power options at all seats.
Air Canada’s remaining 14 Airbus A321s and its eight A320s will be retrofitted starting this autumn through to the end of 2025.
The new cabin also reduces the overall weight of the A321 by approximately 240 kilograms, which will reduce fuel consumption for the entire fleet.