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Aer Lingus
Aer Lingus logo 2019.svg
Founded 15 April 1936; 89 years ago (1936-04-15)
Commenced operations 28 May 1936; 89 years ago (1936-05-28)
Hubs Dublin Airport
Focus cities Cork Airport
Frequent-flyer program
  • AerClub
  • Avios
Subsidiaries
  • Aer Lingus Regional
  • Aer Lingus UK
Fleet size 74 (Including all the Subsidiaries)
Destinations 93
Parent company International Airlines Group
Headquarters Cloghran, County Dublin, Ireland
Key people Lynne Embleton (CEO)
Revenue Decrease 467 million (2020)
Operating income Increase 305 million (2018)
Net income Increase 205.5 million (2016)
Employees 4,500 approx (2020)

Aer Lingus is the main airline of Ireland. Its name comes from the Irish words "aerloingeas," which means "air fleet."

The Irish Government started Aer Lingus in 1936. Later, between 2006 and 2015, it became a private company. Now, it is fully owned by International Airlines Group (IAG). The airline's main office is near Dublin Airport in Cloghran, County Dublin.

Aer Lingus used to be part of the Oneworld airline group, but it left in 2007. Even though it's now owned by IAG (which also owns Oneworld members like British Airways), Aer Lingus has no plans to rejoin. The airline works with other airlines through codeshares and agreements. This means you can book flights with Aer Lingus that are actually flown by other airlines.

Aer Lingus uses a mix of different business ideas. For flights within Europe, it offers a mix of low-cost and regular services. For longer flights across the Atlantic Ocean, it provides full service with two different seating classes.

Before IAG bought Aer Lingus in 2015, another airline called Ryanair owned a big part of it. The Irish government also owned a share. The government had owned most of the airline until 2006, when it decided to sell shares on the stock market.

In 2015, after many talks, the Irish government agreed to sell its share to IAG. Ryanair also sold its shares to IAG. By September 2015, IAG officially took control of Aer Lingus.

History

How it Started

Aer Lingus began on April 15, 1936, with money from the government. Its first chairman was Seán Ó hUadhaigh. The name Aer Lingus was suggested by Richard F O'Connor.

Aer Lingus De Havilland DH-84 Dragon 2 EI-ABI OTT 2013 03
A DH.84 Dragon, painted like Aer Lingus' first plane, "Iolar".

Just five days after it was officially registered, Aer Lingus started its first flight. On May 27, 1936, a small six-seater plane called Iolar (Eagle) flew from Baldonnel Airfield in Dublin to Bristol (Whitchurch) Airport in the UK.

Later that year, the airline got a bigger plane called "Éire." It could carry 14 passengers. This plane made the first flight between Dublin and London. At the same time, the Iolar plane started flights between Dublin and Liverpool.

In 1937, the Irish government created a company called Aer Rianta (now Dublin Airport Authority). This company took care of the airline's money and all of Ireland's airports. Aer Lingus became fully owned by the Irish government through Aer Rianta.

In 1938, a new plane, the de Havilland Dragon Rapide, replaced Iolar. Aer Lingus also bought its first all-metal planes, two Lockheed 14s, in 1939.

Aer Lingus DC-3 Manchester 1949
An Aer Lingus Douglas DC-3 at Manchester Airport in 1948.

In January 1940, Aer Lingus moved its operations to a new airport in Dublin called Collinstown. It bought a new DC-3 plane and started new flights to Liverpool and to Shannon within Ireland. During World War II, the airline had to limit its flights, mostly flying only to Liverpool or Manchester.

Growing After the War

On November 9, 1945, regular flights started again with a flight to London. From then on, Aer Lingus planes, mostly Douglas DC-3s, were painted silver and green. The airline also hired its first flight attendants.

In 1946, Aer Lingus got special rights to fly from Ireland to the UK. In return, British airlines owned 40% of Aer Lingus. Because Aer Lingus was growing, it bought seven new Vickers Viking planes in 1947. However, these planes were too expensive to run and were soon sold.

Bristol 170.31 EI-AFS Aer Lingus Ringway 08.53 edited-2
A Bristol 170 Freighter at Manchester Airport in 1953.

In 1947, another airline called Aerlínte Éireann was created to fly across the Atlantic Ocean to New York City. This airline ordered five new Lockheed L-749 Constellations. But a change in government and money problems stopped these flights from starting.

Aer Lingus Viscount 808 Manchester 1963
A Vickers Viscount 808 at Manchester Airport in 1963.

In the late 1940s and early 1950s, Aer Lingus started flights to Brussels, Amsterdam, and Rome. As it added more routes, the airline bought some of the first Vickers Viscount 700 planes in 1951. These started flying in April 1954. In 1952, the airline also expanded its cargo services and got a small group of Bristol 170 Freighter planes.

In 1956, Aer Lingus introduced a new look for its planes. They had a green top, a white lightning stripe, and the Irish flag on the tail.

First Flights Across the Atlantic

Boeing 720-048 EI-ALA Aer Lingus 1965
A Boeing 720 in Aer Lingus-Irish International colors in 1965.

On April 28, 1958, Aerlínte Éireann made its first flight across the Atlantic from Shannon to New York. In 1960, Aerlínte Éireann changed its name to Aer Lingus.

Aer Lingus bought seven Fokker F27 Friendship planes between 1958 and 1959. These planes were used for shorter flights to the UK. The airline entered the jet age on December 14, 1960. It received three Boeing 720 jets for flights to New York and its newest destination, Boston.

In 1963, Aer Lingus added Aviation Traders Carvair planes to its fleet. These planes could carry five cars inside them. However, they were not very profitable for the airline.

The Boeing 720s were very successful for transatlantic flights. To add to these, Aer Lingus got its first larger Boeing 707 in 1964. This type of plane served the airline until 1986.

Jet Aircraft Era

Aer Lingus Fokker Friendship Manchester 1965
A Fokker F27 Friendship at Manchester Airport in 1965.

In 1965, Aer Lingus started using jet planes for its European flights, beginning with the BAC One-Eleven. The airline also changed its look again that year, adding a large green shamrock to the tail of its planes.

Carvair and ambassador at bristol airport 1965 arp
An Aviation Traders Carvair loading a car at Bristol Airport in 1964.

In 1966, the company added flights to Montréal and Chicago. In 1968, flights from Belfast to New York City started, but they were soon stopped. Aer Lingus introduced Boeing 737s to its fleet in 1969 to handle the high demand for flights between Dublin and London. These 737s were later used for all European routes.

In 1967, the General Manager, Dr J.F. Dempsey, signed the contract for the airline's first two Boeing 747 planes before he retired.

1970s to 1990s

Aer Lingus BAC 1-11 at Zurich - July 1975
A BAC One-Eleven at Zurich Airport, Switzerland in 1975.

On March 6, 1971, Aer Lingus received its first of two Boeing 747s for transatlantic flights. The company later bought a third 747 but quickly leased it out because it wasn't profitable to fly so many large planes across the Atlantic at first. In 1974, Aer Lingus showed off a new look for its planes. It used two shades of blue and one green, with a white shamrock on the tail.

In 1977, Aer Lingus hired its first female pilot, Gráinne Cronin. It was only the second airline in Europe to have female pilots.

In September 1979, Pope John Paul II flew on a specially changed Boeing 747 (EI-ASI or St. Patrick) from Rome to Dublin. He later flew from Shannon to Boston. In the early 1980s, the 707 planes were taken out of service.

Aer Lingus (EI-CFD), Dublin, February 1993
An Aer Lingus Commuter Saab 340 at Dublin Airport in 1993.

In 1984, the airline created a new company called Aer Lingus Commuter. This allowed Aer Lingus to fly to bigger cities in Ireland and Britain that didn't need jet planes. These services used five Short 360 planes. Around this time, Aer Lingus also bought most of the shares in a cargo airline called Aer Turas.

Between 1987 and 1989, new Boeing 737s arrived to replace older ones. Six Fokker 50s were added to the Commuter fleet. In 1990, Aer Lingus changed its plans after new airline rules came out in Ireland. It stopped using the BAC One-Elevens and replaced them with five new 737s. By 1992, Aer Lingus had replaced all its original 737-200 planes.

Aerlingus.a321-200.ei-cpe.arp
An Airbus A321 landing at London Heathrow Airport in 2007.

In 1994, Aer Lingus started direct flights between Dublin and the United States using the Airbus A330. This led to the Boeing 747 and the briefly used Boeing 767-300ER being taken out of service. On October 2, 1995, the Boeing 747 flights stopped after 25 years. By then, over eight million people had flown across the Atlantic on Aer Lingus Boeing 747s. In the late 1990s, Aer Lingus returned to Belfast with flights to New York. It also added Newark Liberty International Airport as a destination, but stopped these flights in 2001.

The first Airbus short-haul planes arrived in 1998. These were the A321, mainly used for the Dublin-Heathrow route. The first A320 was delivered in 2000.

2000s to 2010s

On February 1, 2001, Aer Lingus Commuter became part of the main airline again. The airline was greatly affected by the September 11 attacks in the United States. To deal with this, the airline cut staff and destinations and reduced its fleet. Because of these changes, it became profitable again. It did this by lowering costs, using modern Airbus planes, and starting new routes to Europe.

Many new A320 aircraft were delivered from 2004 to 2011. These new planes allowed Aer Lingus to stop using the Boeing 737. On October 29, 2005, Aer Lingus stopped using its last two 737 planes. This meant Aer Lingus now had only Airbus planes.

On October 27, 2005, Aer Lingus announced its first flights to Asia, starting in March 2006 to Dubai International Airport in the United Arab Emirates. The Dubai service stopped in March 2008.

On June 6, 2007, Aer Lingus ordered six new A350-900 and six A330-300 planes from Airbus. These were to expand long-haul flights and replace older planes.

Going Public

Wing 0587
The Aer Lingus logo on an Airbus A330 winglet.

To prepare for selling shares to the public, the Irish government agreed to remove the Shannon Stopover rule. This rule meant that all flights between Ireland and the US had to stop at Shannon Airport.

Aer Lingus started selling shares on the Dublin and London stock markets on October 2, 2006. When it first sold shares, the Irish government still owned 28% of the company, and employees owned 15%.

Aer Lingus left the Oneworld airline group on March 31, 2007. It decided to work directly with other airlines like British Airways and United Airlines. Aer Lingus said it wanted to be a low-cost airline, which didn't fit with Oneworld's goals.

Ryanair Tries to Buy Aer Lingus (2006)

On October 5, 2006, Ryanair tried to buy Aer Lingus. Ryanair's CEO, Michael O'Leary, said it was a "unique chance" to create a big Irish airline. Ryanair said it had already bought 16% of Aer Lingus. Aer Lingus rejected Ryanair's offer.

On December 21, 2006, Ryanair said it was stopping its offer for Aer Lingus. This was because the European Commission (EC) was worried that the takeover would reduce choices for customers and make prices go up. On June 27, 2007, the EC officially blocked the bid. They said the two airlines together would control more than 80% of flights to and from Dublin Airport.

Expanding to Northern Ireland

On August 7, 2007, Aer Lingus announced it would open its first base outside of Ireland, at Belfast International Airport in Northern Ireland. Flights from Belfast started in December 2007. This move brought back flights between Belfast International and London Heathrow Airport.

After five years at Belfast International Airport, Aer Lingus moved its operations to George Best Belfast City Airport in July 2012. It moved its Belfast – London Heathrow flights there.

Open Skies

On March 22, 2007, because of the EU–US Open Skies Agreement, Aer Lingus announced three new long-haul flights to the United States. Starting in Autumn 2007, Aer Lingus began direct flights to Orlando, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. The airline also flies to Boston, Chicago, and New York.

Flights from Washington, D.C., restarted on March 28, 2010. Service to San Francisco resumed on April 2, 2014. Dublin–Washington Dulles service began in May 2015. The Dublin–Los Angeles route was brought back on May 4, 2016. Other US destinations added include Hartford, Seattle, and Minneapolis-St Paul.

Impact of 2008 Recession

In October 2008, after losing money, Aer Lingus announced a plan to save €74 million. This plan included cutting jobs and changing how things worked at Cork and Dublin airports. This caused a lot of disagreement, especially with the airline's workers' unions.

In December 2008, Aer Lingus announced that the Shannon – Heathrow flight would start again. However, by June 2009, the company had lost a lot of money. In October 2009, the new CEO, Christoph Mueller, announced a big cost-cutting plan. This plan aimed to save €97 million by 2011.

Second Ryanair Takeover Bid (2008/2009)

Aer Lingus (EI-BDY), Dublin, July 1992 (01)
An Aer Lingus Boeing 737-200 and a BAC One-Eleven of rival airline Ryanair at Dublin Airport in 1992.

On December 1, 2008, Ryanair tried to buy Aer Lingus again. They offered €748 million. Ryanair said that Aer Lingus, as a small airline, was being left behind while other airlines were joining together. They claimed the two airlines would operate separately and that Aer Lingus would double its short-haul planes. The Aer Lingus Board rejected the offer.

The offer was eventually rejected by most other shareholders. This was the second time Ryanair tried and failed to buy Aer Lingus. The Irish Government said Ryanair's offer was too low and would harm competition.

In June 2009, Aer Lingus changed its 'Premier Class' to the new 'Business Class'.

Gatwick Base

Aer Lingus Airbus A319-100 (EI-EPT) departs London Heathrow Airport, England, on 2ndJuly2014 arp
An Aer Lingus Airbus A319-100 departs London-Heathrow in 2014.
Aer.lingus.a320-200.ei-den.arp
Aer Lingus Airbus A320-200 lands at London Heathrow Airport, England.

On December 19, 2008, Aer Lingus announced it would open a base at Gatwick Airport in the UK. Four planes would be based there starting in April 2009, flying to eight destinations. The CEO said they expected to have eight planes at Gatwick within a year.

By June 2009, the airline had five planes at Gatwick, making it its biggest base outside Ireland. This led to six new routes.

However, on January 8, 2010, due to low demand for air travel, Aer Lingus announced it would reduce the number of planes at Gatwick from five to three. The Gatwick base closed in 2015.

New CEO and 75th Anniversary

On April 6, 2009, CEO Dermot Mannion announced he would leave the airline. He was replaced by Christoph Mueller on October 1, 2009.

On December 2, 2009, Aer Lingus announced that talks with its unions had failed. As a result, the airline decided to reduce flights and jobs. Mueller said the airline would move away from competing directly with low-cost airlines like Ryanair. It would focus more on service.

Aer Lingus celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2011. On March 26, the company showed off its newest plane, which was painted in the 1960s style. The crew also wore old uniforms.

Third Ryanair Takeover Bid (2012)

On June 19, 2012, Ryanair announced it would try again to buy Aer Lingus. They offered €1.30 per share. Aer Lingus rejected this offer, saying it was too low. They also pointed out that the European Commission had already blocked Ryanair's previous attempts.

On February 27, 2013, the European Commission blocked Ryanair's third attempt to buy Aer Lingus. They said the merger would hurt customer choice and lead to higher prices.

Long-haul Expansion

In July 2013, Aer Lingus announced it would expand its flights to North America in 2014. This included direct flights from Dublin to San Francisco and Toronto. It also announced that transatlantic flights from Shannon to Boston and New York would fly daily all year round.

Aer Lingus also started flights to Washington Dulles in May 2015, and to Los Angeles in May 2016. Other US destinations added include Hartford, Seattle, and Minneapolis-St Paul.

In March 2021, Aer Lingus announced four new routes from Manchester Airport in the UK: to New York, Orlando, Barbados, and Boston.

IAG Takes Over (2014/2015)

On December 14, 2014, International Airlines Group (IAG), which owns British Airways, tried to buy Aer Lingus for €1 billion. The Aer Lingus Board rejected this offer.

On January 9, 2015, Aer Lingus rejected a second offer from IAG. On January 24, 2015, IAG made a third offer of €1.4 billion. On January 27, 2015, Aer Lingus's board said they would recommend this offer. They noted that IAG planned for Aer Lingus to operate as a separate airline with its own brand and management.

On May 26, 2015, the Irish Government agreed to sell its 25% share to IAG. On July 10, 2015, Ryanair also agreed to sell its nearly 30% share. The takeover was approved by regulators. On September 2, 2015, IAG officially took control of Aer Lingus.

2020s

In February 2020, Aer Lingus was told about travel restrictions to some Italian towns because of COVID-19. The airline said its flights would continue to follow health guidelines.

EI-EIM@PEK (20200330095829)
An Aer Lingus Airbus A330-300 in Beijing, China in March 2020, collecting medical supplies for Ireland.

On February 28, Aer Lingus learned that a passenger with COVID-19 had been on a flight from Milan to Dublin. Four cabin crew members from that flight had to self-isolate. The next day, Aer Lingus stopped flights to Northern Italy, and later to all of Italy.

On March 13, Donald Trump, who was the US President, announced a travel ban from Europe. This ban was later extended to include Ireland. Aer Lingus then greatly reduced its flights, cutting its network by 95%. The airline's big summer schedule plans were ruined by the global pandemic. As a temporary measure, the airline cut hours and salaries for all employees by 50%.

Later that month, on March 29, an Aer Lingus flight from Beijing, China, landed at Dublin Airport. It was carrying important medical supplies for Ireland's health workers. This was the start of many flights the airline operated for the Irish government to bring in supplies.

With only 5% of its planned flights operating, Aer Lingus announced on May 1, 2020, that it needed to cut jobs. The airline talked with its unions about changes to work and proposed job cuts. Aer Lingus CEO Sean Doyle said it would take years for the airline industry to recover.

Corporate affairs

Ownership and Structure

Aer Lingus used to be listed on the Irish and London Stock Exchanges. However, it was removed from these lists on September 17, 2015, after IAG bought most of its shares. As of September 2, 2015, International Airlines Group owns 98.05% of Aer Lingus.

Aer Lingus Cargo

Aer Lingus Cargo is the part of the airline that carries goods. It uses special areas in the cargo holds of passenger planes. Aer Lingus Cargo services are available on all flights to the US from Dublin and Shannon. Cargo services are also offered on most European and some UK routes. This division later became part of IAG Cargo.

Aer Lingus Regional

Flights under the Aer Lingus Regional brand have been operated by Emerald Airlines since March 17, 2022.

Aer Lingus used to have an agreement with Stobart Air (formerly Aer Arann). Stobart Air operated many routes using the Aer Lingus Regional name, colors, and flight codes. Stobart Air stopped flying in June 2021. Aer Lingus and BA CityFlyer temporarily took over these routes.

Business Trends

Here are some key facts about Aer Lingus's business over the years:

Business indicators from 2015
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Total money earned (€m) 1,718 1,766 1,859 2,020 2,125 467 366 1,667
Profit (€m) 118 205 234 258 225 −502 −338 −23.0
Number of employees 2,753 2,711 2,662 2,658 2,646 1,609 2,472 2,283
Number of passengers (millions) 10.1 10.4 10.9 11.3 11.6 2.1 2.0 9.0
Passenger load factor (%) 81.6 81.6 81.2 80.9 81.8 46.4 48.0 77.0
Number of aircraft (at year end) 49 51 53 56 58 56 57 56
Sources
Business indicators 2007-2014
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Total money earned (€m) 1,284 1,357 1,205 1,215 1,288 1,393 1,425 1,557
Profit (€m) 105 −107 −130 43.0 71.2 33.9 34.1 −95.8
Number of employees 3,905 4,035 3,844 3,516 3,491 3,566 3,615 3,766
Number of passengers (millions) 9.3 10.0 10.4 9.3 9.5 9.7 9.6 9.8
Passenger load factor (%) 75.4 72.8 74.5 76.1 75.6 77.7 78.4 79.0
Number of aircraft (at year end) 41 42 44 44 43 44 47 50
Sources

Business Model

Aer Lingus uses a "small frills" approach. This means it's a mix between a traditional airline and a low-cost carrier. For short flights, you might pay extra for some services. But on long flights, things like meals are usually free.

This new way of doing business needed a lot of talks with the airline's unions (groups that represent workers). Everyone agreed that lower costs were needed for the airline to survive.

Head Office

Aer Lingus Building, Dublin Airport, County Dublin, Ireland - August 2014
Aer Lingus's head office
Airbus A320 Aer Lingus "Retrojet" F-WWDV EI-DVM, MSN 4634
An Airbus A320 in the retro livery at Toulouse–Blagnac Airport in 2011.
Self check-in at Dublin Airport
Self-check-in machines of Aer Lingus at Dublin Airport.

The main office for Aer Lingus is at Dublin Airport in Fingal, County Dublin. The Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) made an existing building ready for Aer Lingus's headquarters.

The old head office site included several buildings. These buildings had offices, training areas for flight crew, and parking. In 2010, Aer Lingus announced it would move its employees to other buildings it owned. The airline said its old head office was too big after it cut costs. In 2011, Aer Lingus signed a contract to give back the lease on its old head office building to the DAA.

Employee Relations

On May 30, 2014, Aer Lingus cabin crew had a 24-hour strike. This caused about 200 flights to be cancelled and affected travel plans for many people. The workers wanted changes to their work schedules.

Sponsorships

Aer Lingus used to sponsor the Irish Times International Fiction Prize.

On April 30, 2015, Aer Lingus became the official airline of the Irish Rugby Team. One plane was even renamed "Green Spirit" and painted with a special design for the team. Another plane also got the same design.

Destinations and Hubs

As of January 2023, Aer Lingus flies to 93 places in Asia, Europe, and North America. This includes countries like Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

In October 2022, Aer Lingus flights between Belfast City and London Heathrow were moved to Aer Lingus UK. This was because of new rules after Brexit.

Hubs

Aer Lingus has six main bases, called hubs:

  • Dublin: This is Aer Lingus's main hub for almost all its long-distance flights. It serves many routes to Europe, America, Africa, Asia, South America, and most UK routes. Dublin is also where the airline does most of its plane maintenance.
  • Cork: Even though operations have been reduced, Cork is still an important base. Three planes are based here, flying to 10 places in the UK and Europe.
  • Shannon: Shannon is a smaller hub for connecting to transatlantic flights. Aer Lingus flies short routes to London-Heathrow and Paris-Charles de Gaulle from here. These flights help feed passengers onto its daily transatlantic flights to Boston and New York-JFK.
  • Belfast: Flights from Belfast are mainly within the UK, but some international European flights also operate. After Brexit, Aer Lingus started more UK flights from Belfast than from Dublin due to new travel laws.

Codeshare Agreements

Aer Lingus works with these airlines through codeshare agreements:

Fleet

Aer Lingus planes are named after Christian saints from Ireland.

Current Fleet

Aer Lingus Airbus A320-200
Aer Lingus Airbus A320neo
Aer Lingus Airbus A321LR
Aer Lingus Airbus A330-300

As of December 2022, Aer Lingus (not including its smaller airlines, Aer Lingus Regional and Aer Lingus UK) uses only Airbus planes. Here are the planes it has:

Aer Lingus fleet
Aircraft In service Orders Passengers Notes
C Y Total
Airbus A320-200 29 174 174
Airbus A320neo 4 4 186 186
Airbus A321LR 8 16 168 184
Airbus A321XLR 6 TBA Delivery scheduled from 2024. Launch operator.
Airbus A330-200 3 23 243 266
248 271
258 281
Airbus A330-300 10 30 275 305
283 313
287 317
Total 54 10

Fleet Development

In January 2017, Aer Lingus decided to order eight A321LR planes. These planes are good for flying longer distances on routes that are not as busy. As of November 2018, the airline has ordered fourteen A321LRs.

At the 2019 Paris Air Show, IAG agreed to buy 14 Airbus A321XLR planes. Six of these will go to Aer Lingus. The first of these planes will arrive in 2023.

Historical Fleet

BAC 111-208AL One-Eleven, Aer Lingus AN1108412
An Aer Lingus BAC One-Eleven in 1982
Aer Lingus Boeing 747-100 Rose-2
An Aer Lingus Boeing 747-100 in 1980
Aer Lingus (EI-CDA), Dublin, June 1993
Aer Lingus Boeing 737s in 1993

Here are some of the planes Aer Lingus has used in the past:

Aer Lingus historical fleet
Aircraft Introduced Retired Notes
Transatlantic fleet
Boeing 707-320 1964 1986
Boeing 720 1960 1971
Boeing 747-100 1970 1995
Boeing 757-200 2014 2020 Leased From ASL Airlines Ireland
Boeing 767-200ER 2016 2016 Leased from Omni Air International
Boeing 767-300ER 1991 1994
Douglas DC-8-63F 1990 1990 Leased from Arrow Air
Douglas DC-8-73PF 1990 1990 Leased from Aer Turas
Lockheed L-749 Constellation 1948 Unknown
Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation 1958 1960
Lockheed L-1011 TriStar 1989 1997 Leased from American Trans Air, Caledonian Airways
McDonnell Douglas MD-11 1998 1998 Leased from World Airways
2001 2001
European and commuter fleet
Airbus A319-100 2011 2016
Airbus A321-200 1998 2022
Airspeed Consul 1948 1950
ATR 42-600 2003 2020
Aviation Traders Carvair 1963 1968
BAC One-Eleven 1965 1990
British Aerospace BAe 146-300 1995 2006
Boeing 737-200 1969 1992 Leased from All Nippon Airways
Boeing 737-300 1987 1993
Boeing 737-400 1989 2005
Boeing 737-500 1990 2005
Bristol 170 Freighter 1952 Unknown
de Havilland DH.84 Dragon 1936 1938
de Havilland DH.86 Express 1936 1946
de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide 1938 1940
Douglas DC-3 1940 1964
Fokker F27 1958 1966
Fokker 50 1989 2001
Lockheed Super Electra 1939 1940
Saab 340B 1991 1995
Short 330 1983 Unknown
Short 360 1984 1991
Vickers Viking 1947 Unknown
Vickers Viscount 700 1954 1960
Vickers Viscount 800 1957 1973

Livery

On January 17, 2019, Aer Lingus showed off a new look for its brand and planes. This new look includes a new font, a refreshed shamrock symbol, and new colors. The planes are now white with teal engines and tail. Most Aer Lingus planes were expected to have this new look by the end of 2021.

Services

In-flight Services

From 2015 to 2016, Aer Lingus sold pre-packaged Tayto sandwiches on some flights. In 2018, the company announced it would offer a free glass of wine or beer on transatlantic flights. That year, it also planned to offer free Wi-Fi to certain economy customers on transatlantic flights. In 2019, Aer Lingus introduced AerSpace, which is its premium economy class.

Frequent-Flyer Programme

AerClub is Aer Lingus's programme for frequent flyers. It started in November 2016, replacing the old Gold Circle programme. AerClub has four levels: Green (entry-level), Silver, Platinum, and Concierge. Members earn points called Avios.

Accidents and Incidents

Memorial to the Aer Lingus crash of January 1952 - 1784244
A memorial at the site of the January 1952 crash.

Aer Lingus has a good safety record, with no crash deaths in over 55 years. It has had 12 incidents, including six accidents where planes were badly damaged (three of which had deaths) and one hijacking.

  • On January 10, 1952, a Douglas DC-3 plane called "St. Kevin" crashed in a peat bog near Llyn Gwynant in Snowdonia, killing all 20 passengers and 3 crew. It was the company's first accident with deaths.
  • On January 1, 1953, a Douglas DC-3 plane called "St Kieran" had to land in a field near Spernall, England. Both engines stopped because they ran out of fuel. All 25 passengers and crew survived. The plane was too damaged to be used again.
  • On June 22, 1967, a Vickers Viscount plane on a training flight crashed near Ashbourne, killing all three crew members.
  • On September 21, 1967, a Vickers Viscount flying from Dublin to Bristol scraped its wing on the runway and crashed when landing. All passengers and crew survived. The plane was too damaged to be used again.
  • On March 24, 1968, a Vickers Viscount (named "St. Phelim") flying from Cork to London crashed near Tuskar Rock off the coast of Ireland. All 57 passengers and 4 crew died. This crash is known as the Tuskar Rock Air Disaster. Later investigations suggested the accident happened because a part of the plane's tail broke.
  • On May 2, 1981, Aer Lingus Flight 164 from Dublin to London was hijacked and flown to France. While officials talked to the hijacker, French special forces entered the plane and stopped him. No one was hurt during the hijacking.
  • On January 31, 1986, Aer Lingus Flight 328, a Short 360 plane, hit power lines and crashed before the runway at East Midlands Airport. No one died, but two passengers were injured.
  • On June 9, 2005, Aer Lingus Flight 132, an Airbus A330, almost crashed with another plane at Logan International Airport in Boston. Both planes were given permission to take off at almost the same time on runways that crossed each other. The other plane managed to stay low and go under the Aer Lingus plane, avoiding a collision. No one was hurt.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Aer Lingus para niños

  • Transport in Ireland
  • Aer Lingus UK
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