Air Canada Rouge has introduced the first of 45 refurbished Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft transferred from the parent carrier’s mainline fleet, marking the start of a significant operational restructuring.
Announced in December 2024 and accelerated for completion by end-2026, the initiative shifts all 737 MAX jets to Rouge, eliminating them from Air Canada’s primary narrowbody operations. Each aircraft receives upgrades including personal seatback entertainment, reclining seats across all classes, and Bell-sponsored free Wi-Fi.
The new configuration features 12 business class seats, 18 preferred seats with extra legroom, and 147 standard economy seats, optimizing for leisure routes with 20% lower costs per available seat mile compared to Rouge’s current Airbus A320 family.
Coinciding with the March 5 entry into service, Air Canada opened a Rouge crew base in Vancouver to bolster West Coast leisure expansion, including reinstated winter services from Calgary to Cancun and Puerto Vallarta.
“This renewal program delivers a comfortable, connected onboard experience,” stated Mark Nasr, Air Canada Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer. Existing Rouge A320 and A321 jets will be retrofitted to mainline standards and transitioned, while aging A319s face retirement.
The shakeup aligns with broader modernization: 30 Airbus A321XLRs incoming, 23 A220s remaining on order from 65, 14 Boeing 787-10s slated for later 2026, and eight A350-1000s ordered in February. Regional Air Canada Express fleets operated by Jazz will also gain new cabins and Wi-Fi.