1936
APRIL: Aer Lingus founded with an authorised capital of £100,000. Pending legislation for Government investment through a parent company, Aer Lingus was associated with Blackpool and West Coast Air Services which advanced the money for the first aircraft, and operated with Aer Lingus under the common title “Irish Sea Airways”.
MAY 27: First flight by the new airline. The Dublin/Bristol service was inaugurated with the company’s first aircraft. a DH84 Dragon named “Iolar”. The “Iolar” was the 38th aircraft on the Irish Aircraft Register. Before departure the aircraft was blessed by Rev. W. O’Riordan, Chaplain of the Forces. The departure was attended by Mr. Sean Lemass, Minister for Industry and Commerce and Oliver St. John Gogarty, Senator and well known writer. The five passengers were Mr. W. H. Morton (now deceased). Mr. H. FitzHerbert (deceased), Mrs. H. FitzHerbert (now Mrs. Owen Martin), Mrs. Sean O hUadhaigh (deceased) and Dr. T. I. O’Driscoll. The Dublin/Bristol service operated daily, departing Dublin 0900, arriving Bristol 1100, departing 1215 and arriving back in Dublin at 1430.
MAY 30: Inauguration of seasonal service to the Isle of Man. No further flights were operated on this route until July when a thrice weekly service was introduced.
SEPT. 14: Second aircraft. a DH86A purchased. The aircraft was named “Eire” by Mr. Tom Derrig. acting Minister for Industry and Commerce. On the same day the Dublin/Bristol service was extended to London. The inaugural flight was piloted by Capt. 0. E. Armstrong and carried on board Alderman A. Byrne. Lord Mayor of Dublin.
At the same time an Aer Lingus service to Liverpool was inaugurated using the original DH84.
1937
APRIL 5: Aer Rianta founded to establish. maintain and work lines of aerial conveyances between places in the state and between the state and other countries either directly or by means of Aer Lingus Teoranta. It was formed with an authorised capital of £500,000.
APRIL 19: Blackpool and West Coast join Aer Lingus on the London /Bristol/Dublin route.
MAY 30: First mails for the Isle of Man carried.
1939
SEPT: Outbreak of war. Dublin/Bristol/ London and Dublin/Isle of Man services abandoned.
OCT: Daily service to Liverpool inaugurated. This service continued in operation throughout the war years sometimes using Manchester as a terminal when war-time. conditions made Liverpool unavailable. West Coast Air Services joined Aer Lingus on the route in March 1940.
1940
JAN 19: First passenger service from the new Dublin Airport at Collinstown, Co. Dublin. Two aircraft left for Liverpool with a full complement of passengers.
APRIL: First DC3 purchased. The aircraft was flown across the United States to New York where it was dismantled for shipment to Antwerp. It was reassembled at Deurne military airfield. where Fokker were assembling DC3’s for many air companies then flown to Brussels. From Brussels it was flown to Shoreham, a military airfield. for clearance by the military authorities and then to Liverpool for customs clearance.
MAY 7: DC3 introduced on the Dublin/Liverpool route.
AUGUST 5: English terminus transferred from Liverpool to Manchester.
1942
AUGUST 11: Dublin/Shannon service inaugurated. The aircraft was a ten-seater De Havilland and the service operated thrice weekly. On board the inaugural flight was a square wooden box marked “First airmail and passenger flight Dublin/Berlin 1932”. The box was carried on all Aer Lingus inaugural flights at that time.
OCT 30: Dublin/Shannon service suspended due to decline in traffic.
NOV 16: English terminus transferred back to Liverpool.
1944
APRIL 14-SEPT 8: Liverpool service suspended due to approach of D-Day.
1945
NOV 9: Direct London Service re-opened.
DEC 26: First three air hostesses take up duty. They were Sheila Broderick, Angela Cogan and Maureen Fogarty.
1946
APRIL: By agreement between the British and Irish Governments, Aer Lingus was given responsibility for the development of all air services between the two countries. The agreement which lasted for ten years provided for 30% BEA shareholding and a 10% BOAC shareholding in Aer Lingus. BEA took over BOAC’s shares in 1952, BEA reduced their shareholding in 1956 and in 1966 all shares, except for qualifying shares, were taken over by the Minister for Finance.
APRIL 15: DH aircraft withdrawn from the London route.
MAY: Dublin/Shannon service re-opened.
JUNE 17: Inaugural flight from Dublin to Paris. Sean Lemass, T. D., headed a party of twenty guests on the inaugural.
JUNE 17: DC3. EI-ACA, made a forced landing near Shannon. Passengers and crew sustained no serious injuries but the aircraft was a write-off.
1947
FEB: Aerlinte Eireann registered.
JULY 7: Dublin/Manchester/Amsterdam service inaugurated
JULY 23: First annual Blessing of the Fleet. In addition to blessing two aircraft. a DC3. “St. Malachy” and a Viking. “St. Ronan”. “eighteen other aircraft were blessed and named in absentia, all after saints” (Irish Times).
JULY 26: Dublin/Brussels service inaugurated.
JULY 29: Dublin/Belfast/Glasgow service inaugurated.
AUG 1: Shannon/London service inaugurated.
AUG 14: First all-cargo service inaugurated from Dublin to London.
SEPT 30: Delivery flight of three Constellations New York/Gander/Shannon/Dublin. almost 12,000 people went to Collinstown to watch the arrival of the aircraft.
OCT: Aer Lingus service transferred from Northolt to Heathrow for a period.
OCT 6: Dublin/Shannon/Paris service inaugurated using Viking aircraft.
OCT: Dublin/Belfast/Liverpool service inaugurated. New Aer Lingus office opened at Regent Street. London. New office opened in Paris.
NOV: Dublin/Rome service opened with Constellation aircraft.
1948
JAN: Dublin/Rome service suspended. Opening of new booking office at 40 Upper O’Connell Street, Dublin.
FEB: Suspension of plans for transatlantic service by direction of the Government.
MARCH: Dublin/Belfast service suspended.
APRIL: Transatlantic service suspended.
MAY: Dublin/Isle of Man service reopened.
JUNE: Withdrawal of Constellations from service. Dublin/Brussels service suspended. Dublin/London all-cargo service suspended.
OCT: Opening of Dublin/Glasgow air freight service. Sale of Constellations to BOAC.
DEC: Completion of sale of five Vickers Vikings to Misrair Airlines. Egypt.
1949
MARCH: Resumption of Dublin/London all-cargo service.
MAY 2: Dublin/Birmingham service inaugurated.
JUNE 4: Dublin/Jersey service inaugurated.
1950
JUNE: Starflights (cheap night flights) introduced on the Dublin/London route.
NOV 10: Award of the Cumberbatch Trophy by the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators for “safety and reliability in operations”.
1951
MARCH 12: Night mail service inaugurated from Dublin to Manchester.
MAY 1: Dublin/Bristol service re-opened.
DEC: Aer Lingus became the first foreign airline to order Vickers Viscount aircraft.
1952
JAN 10: DC3, El-AFL. “St. Kevin”. crashed in North Wales with the loss of all on board. It was the company’s first fatal accident.
APRIL 22: Dublin/Edinburgh service inaugurated.
JUNE: Dublin/Cardiff service inaugurated.
JUNE 9: Plans for the introduction of a transatlantic service reactivates. It was planned to operate services with DC4 aircraft leased from Seaboard and Western Airlines. Plans were again suspended due to unacceptable restrictions imposed by U.S. Civil Aeronautics Board on aircraft leasing contract.
1953
JAN 1: DC3, EI-ACF, “St. Kieran” made a forced landing near Birmingham. No casualties.
MAY: Starflights introduced on the Dublin/Paris route. Later abandoned due to low load factors.
NOV: First Aer Lingus office in Amsterdam opened.
1954
MARCH: First Viscount 701 delivered.
APRIL 11: Viscounts introduced on the Dublin/Amsterdam route.
MAY 14: Dublin/Dinard/Lourdes route opened. Aer Lingus was the first airline to operate scheduled air services to the French shrine.
MAY 25: Viscounts introduced on the Dublin/London route.
MAY 29: Viscounts introduced on the Dublin/Paris route.
SEPT: Opening of Glasgow office.
1955
MAY: Dublin/Barcelona service opened.
MAY: New service to Biarritz inaugurated.
JULY: Opening of Cork office.
NOV: Opening of Bristol office.
1956
APRIL: The Anglo-Irish Air Agreement of 1946 was revised, permitting a number of British airlines to operate side-by-side with Aer Lingus on certain routes. At the same time BEA’s shareholding was reduced by the transfers of 285,000 shares to Aer Rianta in October.
1957
APRIL: Dublin/Manchester/Amsterdam/Dusseldorf service opened. Dublin/Manchester/Brussels/Frankfurt service opened. BEA services introduced on the London/Dublin, Birmingham/Dublin and Manchester/Dublin routes. BKS inaugurated a Newcastle/Dublin service and Sabena operated a service from Brussels to Dublin via Manchester.
JUNE 27: Service to Zurich and Rome inaugurated.
1958
JAN: Opening of Dusseldorf office.
APRIL: Lourdes/Rome service opened.
APRIL 28: Dublin/Shannon/New York service inaugurated. The service was operated by Super-Constellation aircraft leased from Seaboard and Western Airlines (later Seaboard World Airlines) pending the purchase of Boeing jets by the company. The inaugural was seen off from Dublin Airport by the Taoiseach, Mr. Eamon De Valera.
OCT: Dublin/Shannon/New York service extended to Boston.
1959
MARCH 18: Opening of New York office.
MARCH 19: New Cargo Terminal, a conversion of Hangar No. I opened at Dublin Airport.
APRIL 4: Dublin/Manchester/Dusseldorf/Copenhagen service opened.
APRIL: Dublin/Paris/Zurich/Rome service opened.
MAY 15: Dublin/Blackpool service opened. Suspended in summer of 1969.
JUNE 4: Dublin/Lourdes/Lisbon service opened.
JUNE 15: Erection of Alcock and Brown Memorial at Clifden. The Memorial was unveiled by Mr. Sean Lemass, Minister for Transport and Power. Among those present were pioneer aviators Col. James Fitzmaurice, Capt. J. P. Saul and relatives of Alcock and Brown.
1960
MARCH 7: The first simulator which was purchased by the company.
MARCH: Opening of Frankfurt office.
APRIL 2: Dublin/Leeds/Bradford service opened.
MAY 30: Shannon/London service reopened.
JUNE 2: Opening of new sales office in Frankfurt.
JUNE 10: Dublin/Cherbourg service inaugurated, providing the lowest ever air fare between Ireland and the Continent of Europe-£13 return.
AUGUST 18: Opening of new Aer Lingus office in Zurich.
AUGUST 24: Opening of Belfast office.
OCT: Opening of San Francisco office.
NOV 18: First of the Boeing Shamrock jets. “St. Patrick” arrives from New York. The flight broke the existing record for a New York/Shannon flight by completing the journey in 4 hours 57 minutes.
NOV: New York office moved from 444 Madison Avenue to 572 Fifth Avenue.
DEC: Opening of Los Angeles office.
1961
MARCH Opening of Brussels office.
APRIL: Dublin/Belfast service re-opened. Note: the service was opened for a short period during Christmas 1960
APRIL 29: Dublin/Rennes service opened. Before the introduction of longer range Viscount aircraft on the route in 1954 the company’s DC3’s called at Rennes en route to Lourdes.
APRIL: Opening of Cleveland office.
JUNE: Opening of Barcelona and Copenhagen offices.
JUNE: New office acquired in Washington D.C.
JULY 26: New Limerick booking office opened at 136 O’Connell Street.
AUGUST 1: Dallas office opened.
OCT 16: Cork Airport opened. Aer Lingus commenced scheduled services from Cork to Dublin. London, Bristol and Cardiff. The opening ceremony was performed by Mr. Erskine Childers. Minister for Transport and Power, and the first aircraft to touch down after the ceremony was an Aer Lingus Viscount. A few days earlier the first aircraft into Cork was an Aer Lingus F27 Friendship on a proving flight. The first aircraft out of Cork on opening day was an Aer Lingus F27 Friendship to Dublin.
OCT 20: Cork/Paris route opened.
NOV 15: New maintenance base opened at Dublin Airport.
NOV: Opening of Philadelphia office.
DEC 29: Trainee pilot scheme introduced. Ten trainee pilots selected to train at Perth. Scotland.
1962
APRIL 6: Cork/Birmingham service inaugurated.
APRIL 12: First Class service introduced on Dublin/London route. Three Viscount aircraft were modified to provide the service.
APRIL 20: First Class service introduced on the Shannon/London route.
MAY 5: Cork/Lourdes/Barcelona service inaugurated.
JUNE: Cork/Jersey service opened.
JULY 30: New cargo terminal opened at Shannon Airport.
SEPT: J. F. Dempsey, General Manager. appointed President of the International Air Transport Association for 1962/63.
OCT 22: New terminal opened at Manchester.
NOV 1: New Office opened at Munich.
NOV: Opening of new Sydney office.
DEC 10: New office opened at Birmingham.
1963
JAN 9: First Aer Lingus flight to Australia. The Shamrock jet “St. Brigid”, left Dublin Airport on the first leg of its flight to Melbourne. The jet was chartered to carry passengers from Malta to Australia following the breakdown of the liner “Canberra”.
MARCH 14: The Boeing Shamrock jet “St. Brigid” flew from New York to Lisbon in 5 hours 8½ minutes-a record for the route and the 20th record set up by the Irish airline since November 1960.
APRIL 1: Aer Lingus took over its own passenger and cargo handling at London. New Aer Lingus terminal opened at Brompton.
APRIL: Opening of Chicago and Detroit offices.
MAY 3: J. F. Dempsey, made an Honorary citizen of Lourdes and presented with Medal of Honour in recognition of the part played by Aer Lingus in developing air services at Lourdes.
MAY 8: Car ferry service from Dublin to Liverpool inaugurated.
MAY 11: Dublin/Bristol car ferry service inaugurated.
MAY 14: Cork/Bristol car ferry service inaugurated.
JUNE 6: Dublin/Cherbourg car ferry service inaugurated.
NOV 2: Dublin/Lourdes/Malaga service inaugurated.
NOV: Amsterdam office opened.
NOV 15: New offices opened at 10 Renfield Street, Glasgow, by Mr. C. Cremin, Irish Ambassador to Britain.
1964
FEB 26: General Manager announced that company had reserved positions for two American supersonic aircraft by deposit of £70,000 ($200,000). Subsequently increased to $400,000. See also entry for August 1964.
MARCH: Aer Rianta took over BEA’s shareholding in Aer Lingus.
APRIL: DC3’s withdrawn from service.
JUNE 13: The first of the larger Boeing 720 aircraft, “St. Laurence O’Toole”, arrived at Dublin.
JULY 13: Last of the Aer Lingus DC3’s, “St. Celsus” sold to Royal Nepal Airlines.
AUG
Aer Lingus secured its position in the order queue for the American Supersonic Transport by a deposit of $200,000 for two aircraft. Subsequently increased to $400,000. The aircraft were due for delivery in January and March 1975. Following the decision of the American Government to cancel the project the deposit was returned in 1971.
OCT: New office acquired in Toronto.
NOV 17: New office opened in Stockholm.
1965
JAN 5: First Young Scientists’ Exhibition held in Mansion House, Dublin.
MAY 14: The first of the One-Eleven jets “St. Mel”, arrived at Dublin Airport from Hurn, England.
MAY 21: The new “Altamatic” computer in the Reservations Centre at Dublin Airport switched on by the Minister for Transport and Power, Mr. Childers. The new system links all major selling offices in Ireland and Britain with the controlling computer in Dublin.
1966
JAN: Vancouver office opened.
JAN 23: Aer Lingus flies to Russia with the Glasgow Celtic Football Team. The One-Eleven aircraft “St. Mel” flew from Dublin via Prestwick, Copenhagen and Moscow to Tbilisi. The flight followed a much publicised controversy between the British and Russian aviation authorities.
MARCH: Aer Rianta transferred its shares to Minister for Finance.
APRIL: Aer Lingus traffic rights between Manchester and Brussels withdrawn following decision of BEA and Sabena to operate in pool on the route.
MAY 2: Inaugural flight to Montreal and Chicago.
JUNE 6: New Aer Lingus Head Office opened at Dublin Airport.
1967
JAN 8: Inaugural flight to Munich.
JAN 10: Aer Lingus placed an order for two Boeing 747 jets. The two aircraft and support equipment cost £20,000,000. The airline provided over £5,000,000 from its own resources. The remainder was provided in the United States. Subsequent devaluation and cost escalation expected to raise the purchase price to £26 million ($62.5 million).
FEB 16: New Belfast office opened in Castle Street.
MARCH: Opening of Madrid office.
MAY 30: Dublin/Madrid service inaugurated.
JUNE 13: Belfast/Shannon service inaugurated.
JUNE 22: Viscount aircraft EI-AOF “St. Cathal” crashed at Ashbourne, Co. Meath, with the loss of a crew of three. The aircraft was on a training flight.
JULY 10: Two Aer Lingus Boeing jets operate the first ever transatlantic flights from Belfast’s Aldergrove Airport. The two aircraft were on charter flights to New York.
SEPT 1: Sister ship of company’s first aircraft, the DH84 Iolar flown from Weston Aerodrome by Captain Darby Kennedy to a permanent home at Dublin Airport.
SEPT 21: Viscount aircraft EI-AKK crashed near Bristol Airport. No casualties.
NOV 20: New Aer Lingus booking office opened at 223/5 Regent Street, London, by Mr. Erskine Childers, T.D., Minister for Transport and Power.
1968
JAN 4: New in-flight colour magazine “Cara” launched.
FEB 7: Aer Lingus sign £2 million contract with IBM Ireland Ltd. for installation of new computer.
MARCH 24: Viscount EI-AOM “St. Phelim” crashed into Irish Sea, with loss of all on board.
MAY 23: First scheduled transatlantic services from Belfast inaugurated by Aer Lingus. The Lord Mayor of Belfast, Alderman William Geddis and Lady Mayoress travelled on the Inaugural flight.
MAY 25: Inauguration of Shannon/Dusseldorf service was operated by One-Eleven jet aircraft.
JULY 9: New offices at 564 Fifth Avenue, New York. opened by Minister for Transport and Power. Mr. Erskine Childers, T.D.
NOV: Weekly freighter service inaugurated on Dublin/Edinburgh route. this was the first regular scheduled airfreight operation into Edinburgh by an international airline.
NOV 26: New Passenger booking office opened at 14 Heiligeweg. Amsterdam.
1969
FEB 21: Setting up an Aviation Museum announced.
APRIL 16: Aer Tata!, an international aviation conference to mark completion by Aer Lingus of ten years operation on North Atlantic, opened in Dublin.
MAY 30: ASTRAL. the company’s £2 million computer-controlled reservations system switched on.
SEPT 24: ASTROTEL, new hotel reservations system introduced. The system came into operation on New Year’s Day, 1970.
NOV 13: Agreement signed for the £20 million 8½ % loan 1981 issued by Aer Lingus. This was the first international public issue by an Irish State-sponsored body and the first Eurobond issued by an Irish company.
1970
SEPT 24: Agreement to acquire £1½ million site in the West End of London signed. A multi-storey 850-room hotel will be built on the site.
OCT 13: New Aer Lingus Catering Building opened at Dublin Airport.
1971
JAN 26: Work starts on the London Tara Hotel.
FEB 1: First private, commercial telecommunications link between Ireland and North America opened by Minister for Transport and Power, Mr. Brian Lenihan. The cable-cum-satellite line puts the Aer Lingus sales offices in North America in almost instantaneous touch with the airline’s computerised reservations system. ASTRAL, at Dublin Airport.
MARCH 6: Arrival of first Boeing 747. “St. Colmcille” at Dublin Airport.
APRIL 5: First scheduled flight of an Aer Lingus Boeing 747. The route was Dublin/Shannon/New York.
APRIL 20: First public issue by Aer Lingus in sterling. A 25 year debenture stock issue in the amount of £5 millions arranged by a consortium of bankers on behalf of the company. Proceeds of the issue will be used to finance the London Tara Hotel project.
MAY 7: New passenger terminal for Aer Lingus at Kennedy International Airport. New York. opened by Minister for Transport and Power. Mr. Brian Lenihan.
1972
APRIL 11: Aer Lingus sets up a separate division to provide computer services to outside clients. The new division is known as Cara Computing.
MAY 31: New Terminal Building opened at Dublin Airport. Aer Lingus automated check-in system goes into operation.
JUNE 2: Aer Lingus operates the first Boeing 747 (Jumbo) jet to land at Lourdes.
OCT 6: Aer Lingus combines with BEA and CIE to form Cara-Ireland Ltd. (BEA based) with the object of developing inclusive holiday packages to Ireland.
OCT 11: Aer Lingus acquires 100% of Computer Bureau Services Ltd.
NOV 1: Aer Lingus reaches agreement with Alitalia to operate the Dublin/Rome service as a joint venture following the cessation of operations between Italy and Ireland by the Italian airline.
DEC 5: Details of gradual withdrawal of Aer Lingus from Manchester/Continental routes announced.
1973
JAN 8: Aer Lingus acquires an interest in Sunbound. an Irish wholesale tour agency.
JAN 31: New offices opened at Avenue Louise, Brussels.
FEB 1: London Tara Hotel opened.
MAY 1: Re-opening of Dublin’s historic Tailor’s Guild Hall as a period banquet venue by national Catering Organisation. a subsidiary of Aer Lingus.
MAY 31: Aer Lingus acquires a 25% shareholding in Guinness Peat, the merchant banking, financial, insurance and merchanting organisation.
OCT 1: Aer Lingus takes over ground handling at London Airport from Albany Handling Ltd.. providing services for several major airlines including Air India. Japan Airlines and Pakistan International Airlines.
NOV 17: Aer Lingus acquires Blueskies Ltd.. a wholesale tour operating company
1974
JAN 24: Opening of new office in Leeds.
FEB: Site purchased for a resort complex in Tenerife. Aer Lingus is the major shareholder.
APRIL 1: David M. Kennedy becomes Chief Executive.
APRIL: Aer Lingus provides computerised reservations systems for Air Siam of Bangkok, using the ASTRAL system located at Dublin Airport.
MAY 20: New premises opened in Belfast for Northern Computing (N.I.) Ltd., a company owned jointly by Aer Lingus and the Northern Bank Ltd.
JULY 30: Aer Lingus acquires controlling interest in Irish Helicopters from British Executive Air Services Ltd.
1975
MAY 6: Aer Coach, a new air and coach service between Dublin and London via Liverpool inaugurated. Return fare £26.95p.
MAY 7: Aer Lingus offices in Birmingham, Liverpool and Leeds connected to ASTRAL completing country-wide link up in Britain.
JULY 4: Guinness Peat Aviation set up by Aer Lingus and Guinness Peat Group.
JULY 23: Aer Lingus acquires aircraft maintenance and component overhaul divisions of Aviation Traders (Engineering) Ltd.
SEPT 17: Aer Lingus announces introduction of its own package holiday division.
NOV 14: Plans for an association with the Dunfey Hotel Group in United States announced. Dunfey Hotel Group operate 21 hotels. Documents subsequently signed on December 31 for long-term lease of 14 hotels and management contract for remaining seven. Agreement to take effect from January 1. 1976.
1976
APRIL 2: Egyptair linked with ASTRAL. Foreign airlines already linked with ASTRAL are Air Siam. East African and British West Indian Airways.
JULY: Frankfurt/Dublin service extended to Shannon.
SEPT 2: Air Ceylon announces intention of linking with Aer Lingus ASTRAL system from October 1.
NOV 1: Dublin/Milan service inaugurated.
DEC 30: Aer Lingus, through its hotel subsidiary the Dunfey Family Corporation take on management of Ambassador East Hotel in Chicago and the Sheraton-by-the-Sea resort property in Georgia.
1977
APRIL 1: Aer Lingus fifth freedom rights out of Manchester ceased. Paris services moved from Le Bourget to Orly Airport.
MAY 12: New Boston office opened at Dunfey Parker House Hotel.
JULY 3: Aer Lingus operates first Boeing 747 (Jumbo) aircraft out of Aldergrove Airport, Belfast.
AUGUST 15: Aer Lingus operates a “Flying Ballroom” across the Atlantic. The Boeing 747 had a special dance floor installed for the Arthur Murray U.S. School of Dancing whose members danced their way across from New York to Ireland.
SEPT: Aer Lingus flies Irish art treasures to New York on four separate flights. The treasures included the Book of Kells. Ardagh Chalice, Tara Brooch, Cross of Cong. St. Patrick’s Bell and the Glenansheen Collar.
SEPT 27: First woman pilot selected. She is 22-year-old Grainne Cronin of Malahide, Co. Dublin. then an Aer Lingus air hostess.
NOV 16: Aer Lingus announced that one of New York’s best known hotels, the Berkshire. is to be added to their hotel chain. through the U.S. hotel’s subsidiary. the Dunfey Family Corporation.
1978
JAN 9: New Aer Lingus offices in Avenue de l’Opera, Paris, officially opened.
MARCH 3: Aer Lingus Boeing 747 became the first Jumbo to fly into Cardiff.
MAY 23: First Aer Lingus stewards take up duty.
JULY 1: Second phase of Foxhills Golf and Country Club complex opened by mayor of Runnymede Borough Council.
OCT 11: Cork/Amsterdam service inaugurated.
1979
FEB 2: Aer Lingus announces that its U.S. hotel subsidiary. Dunfey Family Corporation. would shortly take over management of 1.800-room New York Statler Hilton Hotel.
JUNE 3: Cork/Zurich service inaugurated.
JUNE 20: Aer Lingus acquires controlling interest in Hotel Commodore in Paris.
JULY 10: Aer Lingus-Dunfey Hotel scholarship announced.
AUG 10: Aer Lingus receives official confirmation from the Vatican that His Holiness Pope John Paul II had accepted their invitation to avail of an Aer Lingus aircraft for his journey to Ireland and from Ireland to the United States. Irish Helicopters. a wholly-owned Aer Lingus subsidiary would provide helicopters for the internal travel.
AUG 27: Winter programme including suspension of Montreal service announced.
SEPT 11: Details of setting up of Airmotive Ireland engine overhaul facility near Dublin announced.
SEPT 29: His Holiness Pope John Paul II travels to Ireland on Aer Lingus Boeing 747, EI-ASI, “St. Patrick”. Call sign adopted for this and later Shannon/Boston flight was “Aer Lingus One”.
SEPT 29-OCT 1: Irish Helicopters carry His Holiness Pope John Paul II to Drogheda, Maynooth, Clonmacnoise, Galway, Knock, Limerick-and Shannon. Aer Lingus hostesses were for the first time part of helicopter crews.
OCT 1: His Holiness Pope John Paul II travels on Aer Lingus Boeing 747 “St. Patrick” from Shannon to Boston.
OCT 18: Aer Lingus and Rolls Royce sign agreement covering overhaul of RB211 turbo-fan engines by the airline’s new engine overhaul facilities. Airmotive Ireland.
1980
JAN 2: Aer Lingus announce that U.S. subsidiary Dunfey Hotels is to take on operation of Shoreham Hotel in Washington D.C.
APRIL 11: Aer Lingus announces further investment of £750,000 in Shannon Repair Services.
MAY 16: Inaugural flight on Dublin/Hamburg route.
MAY 29: Aer Lingus sells twelve percent of its shares in Guinness Peat Aviation to Air Canada.
SEPT 10: Government of Republic of Guinea chooses Aer Lingus to assist in the development of its national airline. Air Guinee.
NOV 1: Suspension of Chicago service.
1981
JAN 15: Opening of new hangar and offices for Irish Helicopters at Cork Airport.
MAY 27: Aer Lingus becomes the first European airline to gain direct access to any international hotel reservations system with the link-up of Best Western Hotels information/reservations system with the Astral computer facility at Dublin Airport.
DEC 4: Aer Lingus sets up new company, DEVTEC, to provide research and development services to Irish industry.
1982
FEB 24: Signing of agreement with Kuwait Airways Corporation for the supply and installation of an advanced computer system in Kuwait.
APRIL 2: Opening of Shannon/Amsterdam service.
OCT 29: Aer Lingus, Irish Travel Agents Association and Videcom form TIMAS to provide multi-access reservations system for Irish travel industry.
1983
MAY 1: Commuter-style services introduced on routes from Dublin and Leeds/Bradford.
OCT 25: David Kennedy elected President of International Air Transport Association at its Annual General Meeting in New Delhi.
1984
MARCH 7: Aer Lingus Commuter acquires two Shorts 360 aircraft.
APRIL 12: Agreement with Aeroflot under which Aer Lingus will carry Russia-bound passengers from the U.S. to connect with the Russian airline’s flights at Shannon.
MAY 24: Aer Lingus Commuter inaugurates Dublin/East Midlands route.
1985
MAY 9: Fourteen engineering technicians from People’s Republic of China complete training course with Aer Lingus at Dublin Airport.
JUNE 27: Cork/Rennes service inaugurated with Shorts 360 aircraft.
SEPT 2: Plans for the extension of Aer Lingus properties in the Canary Islands by building 400-room hotel announced.
OCT 25: Aer Lingus operates first commercial flights into and out of Horan International Airport. More than 400 passengers travelled on three Aer Lingus charter flights to Rome.
1986
31 JAN: Shorts 360 crashes near East Midlands Airport. No fatalities.
27 MAY: 50th Anniversary of first Aer Lingus flight.
21 AUG: David Kennedy receives Ireland-U.S. Councils annual award for his outstanding contribution to development of business and commercial links between Ireland and the United States.
26 JUNE: IATA study shows that Aer Lingus has highest load factors of any airline flying the North Atlantic.
30 OCT: London Tara buys Copthorne Hotel chain from British Caledonian.
1987
24 MARCH: 50 millionth passenger carried.
1988
1 MARCH: Dublin-Stansted route opened.
27 MARCH: Dublin-Newcastle route opened.
28 MARCH: New European services via Manchester to Hamburg, Copenhagen. Zurich and via Birmingham to Brussels inaugurated.
