Air Canada 767s return to passenger service

[Lauren J]

Hi all,
I'm seeing rumours that Air Canada will be "unretiring" two passenger 767-375ERs to mainline service as early as Q1 2025. C-FOCA and C-GLCA are allegedly the two aircraft that will be rejoining the fleet.
The combination of widebody delivery delays, and of course the A220's nightmarish reliability concerns, have caused a gap in the fleet and it seems bringing these 767s back is the best way to get aircraft fast.

Sources:

http://www.avcanada.ca/forums2/viewt...0have%20slowed.

https://simpleflying.com/what-happen...s-boeing-767s/

https://www.reddit.com/r/aircanada/c...67s_returning/

[Greg Hyde]

No longer a rumour

Air Canada to reintroduce retired B767s to passenger ops

Air Canada (AC, Montréal Trudeau) is to reintroduce two previously stored B767-300ERs to passenger service in 2025. The airline confirmed the move in its third quarter earnings presentation on November 1, 2024.

Mark Galardo, EVP for revenue and network planning and president, said the two aircraft were previously part of the airline's mainline passenger fleet. "There's still some life on them and we can restore those aircraft on an interim basis to give us some insurance on our fleet for the next two years," he said, stressing that it is a temporary solution.

Air Canada currently has two B767-300ERs in storage at Hamilton, ON. C-FOCA (msn 24575) is 34.46 years old and was first delivered to Canadian Airlines in June 1990. It joined Air Canada's fleet in March 2001. C-GCLA is 33.67 years old and was first delivered to Canadian Airlines in June 1991, joining Air Canada in October 2001. Both are equipped with General Electric CF6 engines and are configured with 24 business class seats and 187 economy class seats. The airline also operates one B767-300ER wet-leased in from Omni Air International (OY, Tulsa International).

Air Canada's last B767 passenger flight was from Montréal Trudeau to Toronto Pearson on June 2, 2020. Between 1982 and 1996, the airline's B767 fleet cumulatively comprised thirteen B767-200s, ten B767-200ERs, and thirty-six B767-300ERs. On the cargo side, it still operates six B767-300ER(BDSF)s as well as two B767-300Fs historically. It expects to add another three B767 freighters between 2024 and 2025.

The airline's widebody fleet currently comprises six B777-200LRs, nineteen B777-300ERs, eight B787-8, thirty-one B787-9s, and twenty A330-300s. Along with the two restored B767s, it expects to take delivery of another B787-9 in 2025, and eighteen B787-10s between 2026 and 2029.

https://www.ch-aviation.com/news/146...-passenger-ops

[Lauren J]

So glad to hear it. I'm just mad that none of the original 767-333ERs are returning to service! I was keen to add that type to my flight log.