en.Wedoany.com Reported - Air Canada has adjusted the seating configuration on seven of its 19 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, reducing the seat count from 450 to 440 to reduce weight, thereby lowering fuel consumption and airspace fees. The airline's widebody fleet consists of 85 aircraft, including 32 Boeing 787-9s, 20 Airbus A330-300s, 19 Boeing 777-300ERs, 8 Boeing 787-8s, and 6 Boeing 777-200LRs, with additional orders for the A350-1000 and 787-10. The high-density 440-seat layout remains rare among North American operators, with the removal of Row 29 being the method of seat reduction. The 440-seat configuration includes 28 business class, 24 premium economy, and 388 economy seats.

According to flight schedules submitted to Cirium Diio, Air Canada will deploy the 440-seat 777-300ER on eight routes in the third quarter, primarily serving the leisure and visiting friends and relatives (VFR) market, with nearly all flights departing from Montréal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL). Specific routes include: Montréal to Paris (twice daily), Athens (once daily), Brussels (once daily), Rome (once daily), Tokyo Narita (once daily), Vancouver (once daily), Toronto (only one flight in Q3, on September 30), and Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) to Barcelona (only one flight in Q3, on September 30). The above frequencies are for one-way operations, with numbers doubling for round trips.

On the transcontinental route from Montréal to Vancouver, Air Canada holds a dominant position. In the 12 months ending April 2026, the route carried approximately 490,000 round-trip passengers, of which about 390,000 were non-stop travelers. In the third quarter, the airline plans to operate 836 flights, an 8% increase compared to the same period in 2025, averaging about 9 flights per day. Air Canada holds a 78% share on this route, offering 6 to 8 daily flights. For example, on a randomly selected date of August 13, flights departing from Montréal include various aircraft types such as the A330-300, 787-9, A220-300, A321ceo, and the 440-seat 777-300ER.

In addition to non-stop passengers, nearly 230,000 travelers connected from Montréal via Vancouver International Airport (YVR) to other flights, with popular destinations including Shanghai, Manila, Victoria, Hong Kong, Sydney, Kelowna, Beijing, Seoul, and Brisbane, of which nearly a quarter traveled to and from mainland China. Another approximately 210,000 passengers originated or terminated in Vancouver and connected via Montréal, with popular markets including São Paulo, Halifax, Quebec City, Barcelona, Paris, Delhi, Lisbon, Boston, Rome, and Athens. About 30,000 passengers connected at both Montréal and Vancouver, with the top itinerary being Portland via Vancouver and Montréal to Athens.