Air Canada is using its business class-only private jets on some routes to make social distancing in the sky easier — take a look at the unique plane

An Air Canada Jetz Airbus A319.Thomas Pallini/Business Insider

• Air Canada is deploying its premium-only configured Airbus A319s that typically fly sports charters onto domestic routes this summer.
• Select flights on the Toronto-Ottawa and Toronto-Montreal routes will be upgraded to the unique sub-fleet known as Air Canada Jetz that features all-business class seating on its aircraft.
• The seats will be sold as premium economy and passengers can fly on them beginning June 1, with no set end date.

Air Canada customers flying on select domestic flights will be getting an unexpected upgrade this summer.

Starting June 1, the Canadian flag carrier will be deploying planes typically used to fly professional sports teams on two routes from Toronto as part of an effort to ease social distancing concerns when flying. The planes are premium-configured with all-business class seating and hold less than half the number of passengers than its mainline counterpart.

It's a rare occasion for the airline, which has been one of the hardest hit in North America thanks to the loss of revenue on its normally-profitable long-haul and leisure routes due to the pandemic. Finding itself with an excess of passenger aircraft that is outweighing demand, Air Canada has sent countless aircraft for storage at airports across the continent and is even converting some of its passenger planes to temporary freighters.

Air Canada is borrowing the Airbus A319s from its Air Canada Jetz sub-fleet, which can typically be seen flying most of Canada's professional hockey teams including the Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks. With the NHL season on hold along with most professional sports, the airline is offering the upgraded aircraft to passengers flying between Toronto and Ottawa and Toronto and Montreal.

Take a look inside Air Canada Jetz' Airbus A319s.