Air Canada alters aircraft plans for Montreal-Porto route

Air Canada has decided not to operate its Boeing 737 MAX on the new route between Montreal and Porto. The service, set to commence on June 4, will instead utilize the Airbus A330-300, which accommodates 285 passengers. Although the frequency of flights will decrease from four to three weekly, this change still results in a higher number of seats available each week.

The decision to replace the Boeing 737 MAX with the A330 was initially reported by Aeroroutes and is now reflected on Air Canada's website and other aviation databases such as OAG and Cirium Diio. However, details about what adjustments have been made to free up the A330 or where the Boeing 737 MAX will be deployed remain undisclosed.

"At 2,780 nautical miles (5,149 km) each way and with a maximum block time of 7h 20m, Montreal to Porto was to be Air Canada's longest MAX route in both senses," according to reports. With this change, Halifax to London Heathrow becomes Air Canada's longest route for the Boeing 737 MAX. This route first saw operations with the aircraft in April 2018 before a global grounding halted flights in March 2019. Service resumed in April 2022.