Aer Lingus has received two Airbus A321XLRs from Hamburg on the same day, marking a long anticipated update to the fleet.
EI-XLR was flown to Dublin on 18 December, touching down on runway 28 at around 14:10. EI-XLT followed later in the evening.
The first aircraft to operate the route, El-XLR (msn 11348), named St Lelia / Liadhain, departed Dublin on flight EIN119 at 16:32 local time, arriving in Washington Dulles at 20:36 local time. She is named for Saint Liadháin of Killlyon near Birr in County Offaly.
Two days later, on December 22, EI-XLT (msn 11590), named St Melanie / Mella, took over the route, operating the same flight with a departure at 16:36 local time and arriving in Washington Dulles at 20:20 local time. She is named for Saint Mella of Doire-Melle in County Leitrim.
Aer Lingus launched its Airbus A321XLR aircraft on the Dublin-Washington Dulles route on December 20, 2024, becoming the second airline globally to operate the fuel-efficient A321XLR, which boasts significant environmental advantages.
These modern aircraft will be configured with 184 seats, 168 in economy and 16 fully-flat business class seats, and is designed to use up to 50pc Sustainable Aviation Fuel.
The airline’s first two A321XLRs are set to operate on new routes to Nashville, launching on April 12, 2025, and Indianapolis, starting on May 3, 2025, both with a service frequency of four times weekly.
Aer Lingus plans to expand its A321XLR fleet from two to six aircraft by 2025, aiming to strengthen its market presence and connectivity to North America from its Dublin hub.
The airline was initially set to be the launch customer of the A321XLR, the first time since 1958 the airline had attained the statues of launch customer of a new aircraft, but lost its position because of the summer pilot strike.
Instead, IAG’s Iberia became the first airline to operate the A321XLR, having taken delivery at the end of October.
Ariana McKnire Director Airline Business Development at Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority post shared “A very warm welcome to Liadhain, one of Aer Lingus’s two new A321XLRs, on its maiden Transatlantic flight. So glad Aer Lingus chose Washington Dulles – IAD to debut their newest aircraft.”
