Narrowbody aircraft enable expanded transatlantic flight options

Technological advancements in the aerospace industry have enabled airlines to expand their route networks, including transatlantic flights using narrowbody aircraft. In June, 16 airlines will operate direct flights across the Atlantic Ocean, connecting North America with Europe using single-aisle planes.

According to Cirium’s Diio Mi airline planning tool, out of 755 weekly departures from North America to Europe with narrowbody aircraft, the Airbus A320neo family is the most popular, responsible for 432 flights. The Boeing 737 MAX follows with 174 weekly flights, while the aging Boeing 757 also remains in use. The Boeing 737 NG has the fewest transatlantic flights due to its operators being based on islands like Greenland and Saint Pierre and Miquelon.

In Canada, Air Transat uses Airbus narrowbodies for transatlantic routes, while Air Canada and WestJet rely on the Boeing 737 MAX 8. "Air Canada only operates three such routes from Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ), Montréal–Trudeau International Airport (YUL), and Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ)," according to available data.