Air Canada’s new Rouge fleet will keep its premium option as it converts to the 737 MAX. That detail was included in an internal video shared with company employees on Wednesday and viewed by PaxEx.Aero.
The revamped Air Canada Rouge aircraft will see one row of seats removed from the current forward cabin, bringing them to 12 premium seats on board.
The economy cabin will add two rows, leading to a 12J/165Y overall configuration. This is nine seats more than the current Rouge A319s and 23 fewer than the A321s.
The cabins will retain their inflight entertainment (Thales Inflyt) and internet services (SES 2Ku), and they will be complimentary to all passengers.
EVP and Chief Operations Officer Mark Nasr also notes in the video that seats will continue to recline, a competitive distinction in some Canadian leisure markets.
Less significant, but the Rouge livery will shift to align with mainline and Jazz. That means the large Air Canada bit will remain on the side of the fuselage, with a small rouge logo near the forward doors.
If nothing else, this is a smart financial play as it avoids a full paint job on the MAX fleet through the transition.
The carrier will retire its Rouge A319s and transition the Rouge A320/A321 fleet to mainline, including a full interior retrofit. This includes adding the high definition tail camera and Bluetooth pairing on the IFE screens.
Finally, the carrier’s regional fleet will receive an interior refresh, with larger overhead bins, new seats, and in-seat power.
Nasr also mentions that the company expects its first A321XLR to be delivered in January, aligning with the company’s recent public statements and discussion about new route options for the type.
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