Before 2023 the list of 787-10 operators was quite short. However with some new orders placed with Boeing in the current year the trend is slowly changing. After China Airlines, which announced an order for the type in June 2023, now Air Canada has also placed an order therefore making the list of operators longer.
Air Canada Becomes The Twelfth 787-10 Operator
Prior to the Air Canada and China Airlines order, and until these planes are actually delivered, there were only 9 operators around the world flying the Boeing 787-10. That figure makes the 787-10 one of the least popular planes among airlines that Boeing has produced. Those 9 787-10 operators include:
| Airline | 787-10 Quantity | |
|---|---|---|
 | Singapore Airlines | 22 |
 | United Airlines | 21 |
 | Etihad | 10 |
 | KLM | 10 |
 | EVA Air | 10 |
 | Saudia | 8 |
 | British Airways | 7 |
 | ANA | 5 |
 | Vietnam Airlines | 4 |
The Details of The Boeing 787-10 Order
Air Canada’s is by all means no small order at all. The carrier has in fact placed an order with Boeing for:
- 18 Boeing 787-10 (Firm order)
- 12 Boeing 787-10 (Option to Purchase)
Therefore a minimum of 18 new Dreamliners will be joining the AC fleet in coming years, with that number possibly rising to 30 units.
The Boeing 787-10 is the largest aircraft of the Dreamliner lineup. And possibly its size is the very issue that hindered its sales figures. This version gets close to the 777 capacity numbers with a significantly smaller range than Boeing’s long haul twin engine mega success.
The aircraft can welcome up to 336 passengers transporting them over a distance of 6,300 nautical miles (or 11,700Km). However it’s likely that the configuration that Air Canada will use won’t reach this top capacity. The most likely configuration will be similar to the one seen on the other 787s with a 3 class configuration featuring:
- Business Class
- Premium Economy
- Economy Class
How many seat in each class remains to be decided.
Towards an All Boeing Long Haul Fleet?
The new up to 30 Boeing 787s ordered by Air Canada will serve to further modernise the fleet and by retiring older planes and expand the fleet. Air Canada operates an extensive network of destinations both in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region and in order to expand its operations will necessarily need new additions to the fleet.
However there is a possibility that Air Canada will have, some time in the not so distant future, an all Boeing long range fleet. Among the oldest planes, most likely to be retired are 6 Boeing 767 and 18 Airbus A330-300s. If these A330s were to be retired and replaced with the new Dreamliners, AC would have an all American made long haul fleet.
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