Air Canada cancels Boeing order for 777 freighters

Air Canada has canceled an order with Boeing Co. for two factory-built 777-300 freighters, opting to pump the brakes on the rapid expansion of its new freighter fleet amid an 18-month recession in airfreight that has sharply slashed the company’s cargo revenue. Air Canada said Monday it will no longer take delivery of the 777 cargo jets in 2024. The disclosure was part of an announcement that Air Canada has ordered 18 Boeing 787-10 passenger aircraft. Air Canada said it decided to convert the order for freighters to 787s instead. No reason was given for the change of heart with the freighters. Air Canada’s press office did not respond to a query about the status of the 777 freighter deal. But the cancellation demonstrates how difficult conditions in the logistics sector are impacting operators and forcing changes in investment plans. It also reflects the strong recovery in international air travel that is expected to continue. Air Canada said the 787-10s will be used to replace less efficient widebody aircraft, with the first deliveries expected in Q4 2025. Air Canada currently operates 30 787-9 and eight 787-8 versions of the Dreamliner, with two more 787-9 aircraft scheduled for delivery from a previous order. The 787-10 is the largest model of the Dreamliner family; it can carry more than 330 customers depending on the seat configuration and has 6,187 cubic feet of cargo volume. Air Canada Cargo currently operates six medium widebody freighters. Since launching a dedicated cargo airline in January 2022, Air Canada has deployed four used Boeing 767-300 passenger jets retrofitted to carry cargo containers and in May received two production 767-300 freighters directly from Boeing. A conversion house is expected to deliver one more 767-300 by the end of the year. Three more aircraft are scheduled to be converted next year, bringing the fleet to 10 aircraft by the end of 2024.<br/>