MONTREAL - Air Canada in Montreal announced that passengers onboard flight AC692 operated with Fin 451 (C-GITU) on Saturday shared a pilot's eye view of the take-off due to new exterior cameras connected to the aircraft's seatback entertainment system. The new camera feature is one of several technologies unveiled with the airline's first upgraded Airbus A321.
Air Canada says it plans on upgrading its fleet of Airbus A321s and A320s, which will feature a new cabin interior, new technologies and services such as Bluetooth audio, and free high-speed internet sponsored by Bell.
Technology upgrades include:
- Bluetooth audio – Air Canada's newest IFE system will feature a Bluetooth-enabled seatback monitor. Customers will be able to connect their personal headsets while watching video on demand, live TV, or listening to podcasts or music. This initiative helps reduce usage of single-use headphones and supports Air Canada's sustainability objectives in reducing waste.
- New exterior cameras – Customers can now watch their flight live thanks to a new first-in-class narrowbody tail and belly camera system providing high-resolution, real-time video of the aircraft exterior.
- Full color LED mood lighting – New cabin lighting system will allow different ambiances to be set depending on time of day and phase of flight.
- Upgraded satellite-based connectivity.
- Power options at all seats – All customers have access to power outlets, USB-A, and USB-C.
Air Canada's remaining 14 Airbus A321s and its eight A320s will be retrofitted starting this fall through to the end of 2025. With these upgrades, customers will benefit from an elevated narrow-body cabin experience, in line with the cabins of the Airbus A220 and Boeing 737 MAX aircraft that comprise the majority of Air Canada's narrowbody fleet.
"We're proud to welcome customers on board to experience the comfort, convenience, and connectivity of our latest cabins. These upgraded fleet interiors will align the A320s and A321s to the highly popular A220 experience, further strengthening our industry leading product offering," said Mark Nasr, Executive Vice President, Marketing and Digital, and President of Aeroplan at Air Canada. "Additionally, new features such as our inflight entertainment system streaming exterior aircraft camera feeds, Bluetooth connectivity, and free, fast internet connectivity will be extremely popular with travelers. We will continue advancing our product leadership by trialing more new in-flight experiences with this A321 and expanding those learnings to additional aircraft in our fleet."
