Where next for Aer Lingus fleet modernisation and plans to expand its transatlantic network? The decision on their next USA destination would appear to be already made with Pittsburgh a near-certainty. But one Aer Ingus executive says that they have seen four separate business cases for a north American detinaiton, all at the final phase of planning, and it never went ahead.
Operating from its hub at Dublin Airport and bases in Belfast, Cork, and Shannon, the airline’s fleet of 59 aircraft serves 97 destinations across Europe and North America.
Sceptred skies: The ‘who’s who’ of the saints whose names feature in the Aer Lingus fleet
The arrival in December of the first two of six Airbus A321XLR aircraft on order scaled up Aer Lingus’s long-haul ambitions. Aer Lingus fleet comprises Airbus A320, A321, A330, and ATR 72-600 aircraft, with the A321XLR as the latest addition:
- Airbus A320-200: 27 aircraft, primarily used for short-haul European routes for leisure and business, 174 seats, all in a single-class Economy configuration and 3-3 configuration.
- Airbus A320NEO: 7 aircraft, serving trunk routes such as London Heathrow, Amsterdam, and Paris 186 seats with 29 inch pitch,
- Airbus A321LR: 8 aircraft, deployed on transatlantic routes like Dublin to Boston and New York, offering enhanced range and efficiency for narrower markets, 184 seats in 16-168 configuration.
- Airbus A321XLR: 3 aircraft delivered with EI-XLU, EI-XLW and EI-XLX expected soon, targeting new transatlantic routes including Nashville and Indianapolis, 184 seats in a 16-168 configuration.
- Airbus A330-200: 3 aircraft, serving the thinner north American routes, two with 271 seats in 23-248 configuration and one (EI-GEY, Saint Benan) with 281 seats in 23-258 configuration.
- Airbus A330-300: 11 aircraft, two of which are registered and based in Manchester , the backbone of long-haul routes to major U.S. cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, as well as Toronto., six with 317 seats in 30-287 configuration. and four with 313 seats in 30-283 configuration.
- ATR 72-600: 19 aircraft, owned and operated by Emerald Airlines under Aer Lingus Regional, serving short routes like Dublin to Glasgow, Bristol, and Donegal, 72 seats all economy, theee aircraft with 70 seats.
The fleet’s average age is relatively young, with the A321XLRs introducing cutting-edge fuel efficiency and extended range.
Aer Lingus was initially launch customer and has embraced the Airbus A321XLR. This has proven a game-changer for narrow-body transatlantic flights, becoming the second airline globally to operate the type, after Iberia, the switch caused by the 2024 pilots strike. The first two of six ordered A321XLRs arrived in Dublin on 19 December 2024, EI-XLR (Saint Liadháin) and EI-XLT (Saint Mella). Its extended range (up to 4,700 nautical miles) allows non-stop flights to smaller U.S. markets, and can reach San Diego. A winter service to Cancun was made possible by the aircraft type. The five A321s registered so far are:
- EI-XLV (MSN 12248): Delivered in December 2024, this aircraft entered service in early 2025, deployed on the new Dublin-Nashville route.
- EI-XLW (MSN 12463): Also delivered in December 2024, EI-XLW serves the Dublin-Indianapolis route.
- EI-XLU (MSN 12412, test registration D-AZXO, named for Saint Sarnán), will be ready for deployment in winter.
- EI-XLV (MSN 12248) named for Saint Fergus, delivered in May and used on the Minneapolis and Toronto routes as well as short haul trunk routes.
- EI-XLW (MSN 12463, test registration D-AVYM), currently in Hamburg.
- EI-XLX (MSN 12549, currently without a test registration), currently in Hamburg.
These A321XLRs, with their Business Class and Economy cabins, offer a modern passenger experience, including improved fuel efficiency and reduced emissions, aligning with Aer Lingus’s sustainability goals. The aircraft enable the airline to serve thinner transatlantic routes profitably, with an extended range beyond that possible with the previous versions of the A321, a strategic shift from relying solely on wide-body A330s.
The A320-200 fleet, averaging over 15 years old, has seen gradual phase-outs, with newer models taking over high-frequency European routes. Aer Lingus targeted older A320-200s and possibly some A330-200s for retirement, replacing them with newer A320neos and A321XLRs. Next step is to phase out the A330s. IAG recently ordered 21 A330-900 neo, some of which are to come to Aer Lingus.
As Aer Lingus prepares to turn 90, its evolving fleet underscores a commitment to connecting Ireland with the world.
