Check out Air Canada’s first upgraded Airbus A321 with an all-new interior and cabin

• Cabin improvements include larger overhead bins, new seating, and a state-of-the-art in-flight entertainment system
• Industry-first exterior cameras on a narrow-body aircraft provide customers real-time, high-definition flight views on IFE seatback screens 
• Aircraft will serve as an onboard trial environment for new technologies such as Bluetooth audio at seatbacks and free high-speed Internet available to all customers

Customers on board Air Canada flight AC692 operated by Fin 451 (C-GITU) on Saturday got an aerial view of the takeoff with new exterior cameras linked to the aircraft’s seatback entertainment system.

The new camera capability, a first for a narrow-body aircraft, is one of numerous advancements announced with the airline’s first updated Airbus A321, which has been overhauled from nose to tail.

Air Canada is investing in customer comfort throughout its fleet of Airbus A321 and A320 aircraft, which will include a new cabin interior, new technologies and services such as Bluetooth music, and free high-speed internet sponsored by Bell.

Highlights of new cabin features:

• Larger overhead bins – Latest Airbus Airspace XL design, the largest overhead bins in-class that will also be installed on the Airbus A321XLRs.
• Upgraded seating – Presents a standardized product across the Air Canada narrowbody fleet in both Business Class and Economy. The new seats are designed to optimize passenger personal space, improve ergonomics, and provide more storage giving customers a more comfortable experience.
• Bluetooth audio – Air Canada’s newest IFE system will feature a Bluetooth-enabled seatback monitor. Customers will be able to connect their personal headsets while watching video on demand, live TV, or listening to podcasts or music. This initiative helps reduce usage of single-use headphones and supports Air Canada’s sustainability objectives in reducing waste.
• New exterior cameras – Customers can now watch their flight live thanks to a new first-in-class narrowbody tail and belly camera system providing high-resolution, real-time video of the aircraft exterior. 
• Full colour LED mood lighting – New cabin lighting system will allow different ambiances to be set depending on time of day and phase of flight.
• Fast and reliable Wi-Fi – Upgraded satellite-based connectivity.
• Power options at all seats – All customers have access to power outlets, USB-A, and USB-C.

Air Canada’s remaining 14 Airbus A321s and eight A320s will be upgraded beginning in the fall and continuing through the end of 2025. Customers will benefit from an improved narrow-body cabin experience, similar to that of the Airbus A220 and Boeing 737 MAX aircraft that make up the majority of Air Canada’s narrowbody fleet.

The new cabin also reduces the overall weight of the A321 by approximately 240 kilograms, which reduces fuel consumption for the entire fleet by more than 2.4 million litres once the work is completed and GHG emissions by 6,256 tCO2 equivalent per year, or the equivalent of the electricity used annually by 4,185 Canadian homes.