An Airbus A321XLR, previously painted in Iberia colours, has been spotted at Hamburg Finkenwerder Airport repainted in full Aer Lingus livery.
MSN 11348 was allocated to Iberia during the Aer Lingus pilots dispute but is now partially repainted in Aer Lingus colours and will registered EI-XLR. It is currently temporarily registered D-AZXY at Hamburg where it is undergoing tests.
Aer Lingus was to be the launch customer for the A321XLR but the first two aircraft, MSN12248 and MSN 11504 were instead reallocated to Iberia. Then first will commence service on Madrid Barajas to Boston later this year.
Aer Lingus was the XLR’s original launch operator. However, due to the pilot pay dispute, IAG dropped Aer Lingus and instead opted for Iberia to receive the first A321neo(XLR). The XLR is set to be introduced into commercial service in mid-November when the Spanish airline deploys it from Madrid to Boston.
Recently, A321neo(XLR) msn 11348 was seen in Aer Lingus’s livery (although its engines still bear the Iberia logo). Meanwhile, EC-OIL (msn 11504) is already fully painted in the Spanish airline’s livery.
In 2019, IAG ordered fourteen A321neo(XLR)s, six destined for Aer Lingus and eight for Iberia.
Adrian Dunne, Aer Lingus chief operations officer, said. “We now have the cost certainty to welcome the A321neo(XLR) into Aer Lingus, with the first two aircraft arriving in Q4 2024.”
