Summary

  • Air Canada Jetz is a successful subsidiary offering private charter services to corporate clients, sports teams, and music groups.
  • The fleet consists of all-business-class Airbus A320-200 planes with a 2-2 layout and 66 domestic first class recliners.
  • During the winter 2020/21 season, the Air Canada Jetz fleet temporarily operated scheduled services to various destinations.

As an airline, Air Canada is more than just its mainline network, as it also operates several subsidiary carriers for different purposes. Air Canada Express and Air Canada Rouge are among the better-known ones, but there is also a private charter airline, Air Canada Jetz. This particular division operates all business-class Airbus A320s and recently underwent a brand refresh.

Available for private hire

Air Canada launched its Jetz subsidiary back in October of 2001. At the time of its launch, this particular division of the Canadian flag carrier's operations was intended to offer narrowbody aircraft for private charter in Canada, aiming at corporate clients, sports teams, and touring music groups. Despite being a slightly unorthodox move, it has clearly been a successful one, as the brand remains today.

According to Air Canada's website, previous Jetz clients have included musicians and bands such as Phil Collins, Bruce Springsteen, U2, and The Rolling Stones. The primary users, however, have been Canadian sports teams, with Jetz having had various contracts to carry Canada-based National Hockey League (NHL) teams. Over the years, it has also served some US-based NHL teams.

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Air Canada Jetz Airbus A320 Parked In Toronto.
Photo: Air Canada

Until recently, Jetz aircraft featured a similar white livery to the Canadian flag carrier's mainline aircraft, with just the Jetz name printed onto the fuselage to distinguish them. However, in September this year, it underwent a brand refresh program that, as pictured above, saw its livery switched to an all-black scheme. According to World Airline News, C-FNVV was the first jet to get the new paint job.

Inside the A320s

According to data from Planespotterss.net, the Jetz fleet currently consists of four ex-Air Canada Airbus A320-200 planes. These narrowbody twinjets bear the registrations C-FKOJ, C-FKPT, C-FMSX, and C-FNVV and are 31.2 years old on average. Previously, it also operated the smaller A319 and the Boeing 737-200.

Data from ch-aviation shows that Air Canada Jetz's Airbus A320s have all business-class configurations, with just 66 seats onboard. For comparison, when these aircraft were in mainline service with the Canadian flag carrier, they had 146 seats onboard, with this figure split between 14 in business class and 132 in economy.

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Inside the main cabin of an Air Canada Jetz aircraft.
Photo: Air Canada

These are not luxurious suites or lie-flat beds, but instead, they are more like long-haul premium economy seats or North American domestic first class seats. As pictured above, they have a 2-2 layout and feature a seat pitch of 44 inches.

The above photograph also highlights one of the more unusual features that Air Canada Jetz's all-business-class Airbus A320s have onboard: two tables located mid-way along the cabin. One row of seats is reversed, allowing four seats to be arranged around each table, giving passengers better conversation opportunities.

Jetz aircraft once appeared on scheduled services

Amid the challenging backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic, the world of commercial aviation saw several unusual operational changes. For example, with the demand for private hire disappearing, the Air Canada Jetz fleet saw use for scheduled service. They only operated for a short period over the winter 2020/21 season, from Montreal, Vancouver, and Toronto to the following destinations:

  • Montreal to Barbados and Vancouver.
  • Toronto to Barbados, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Fort Myers, Cancun, Kelowna, and Vancouver.
  • Vancouver to Palm Springs, Phoenix, and Puerto Vallarta.
Inside the cabin of an Air Canada Jetz cabin.
Photo: Air Canada

Back then, the Air Canada Jetz fleet consisted of Airbus A319-100s rather than today's A320-200s. Explaining the rare chance to book such services, Air Canada VP of Network Planning and Alliances Mark Galardo stated that:

“Customers booking on a Jetz flight will enjoy such amenities as its all-Business Class seating configuration, upgraded meal service, and shorter boarding and deplaning times. These features, combined with Jetz’s other attributes, create a private-jet-like experience.”

These scheduled Jetz services only operated in December 2020 and January 2021 before the A319s returned to their usual private charter roles.

Have you ever flown with Air Canada Jetz? Perhaps you even got a chance to sample the carrier's scheduled flights in winter 2020/21? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments!

Sources: Air Canada, ch-aviation, Planespotters.net, World Airline News