After reaching an agreement with the Irish Air Line Pilots’ Association (IALPA), Aer Lingus (EI, Dublin International) is once again due to receive two A321-200NY(XLR), Adrian Dunne, the airline’s 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,” he said in a post on social media. The Irish Times reported that IAG International Airlines Group could allocate up to six XLRs to the Irish carrier; the remaining four will arrive in 2025. Aer Lingus has not yet announced which routes the new jets will operate.
Sister carrier Iberia (IB, Madrid Barajas) continues to be the launch operator of the new Airbus narrowbody type, a spokesperson told ch-aviation.
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.
ch-aviation has contacted Aer Lingus for comment.
In 2019, IAG ordered fourteen A321neo(XLR)s, six destined for Aer Lingus and eight for Iberia.
