Runway Girl

Air Canada’s first Airbus A321XLR entered into revenue service on 9 June and will operate its first transatlantic flight between Montréal and Toulouse, France on 15 June.

Bearing the aptly named registration of C-GXLR, and sporting SES-powered 2Ku inflight connectivity, Collins Aerospace-made seats in Signature Class and economy, and Panasonic Avionics’ next-gen Astrova IFE system from nose to tail, this is the first of 30 A321XLRs earmarked for Air Canada.

Its induction heralds the start of “a whole new chapter in how — and where — Air Canada customers can fly,” the airline enthuses.

Full story: https://runwaygirlnetwork.com/2026/06/air-canada-glows-with-enthusiasm-as-a321xlr-enters-revenue-service/

All images credited to Air Canada except for the privacy divider, which is credited to Mary Kirby.

Airbus has decided to formally develop its ultra-luxe First Class Experience for the A350-1000 widebody, revealing that certain elements of the design are already being mulled by airlines.

One year after unveiling the concept, which rearranges the entire front of the A350-1000 to enable a 1-1-1 configuration including a center-section Master Suite that can accommodate two passengers and provide access to a dedicated lavatory, Airbus has “stopped the studies” and is now “in the development phase” to deliver the First Class Experience, Airbus vice president of cabin marketing Ingo Wuggetzer said during this year’s Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg.

Driving Airbus’ decision is, broadly, the clear momentum behind first class and, specifically, the fact that its A350-1000 is serving as a flagship aircraft for airlines or is increasingly positioned to do so as the venerable Airbus A380 double-decker’s footprint diminishes in the world fleet.

Full story: https://runwaygirlnetwork.com/2026/05/airbus-enters-development-phase-for-ultra-luxe-first-class-experience/