We’re delighted to announce further expansion to our wide-body fleet with two additional Airbus A330 aircraft for 2018. This will allow us to increase our new Philadelphia route from four flights a week beginning in March 2018 to daily by May.

Aer Lingus A330

The additional two Airbus A330 aircraft will enter service for summer 2018 operations. The peak 2018 North Atlantic fleet will comprise 17 aircraft – 13 Airbus A330s and four Boeing 757s – operating up to 34 transatlantic services daily across 15 routes.

The increased services to Philadelphia are in addition to the commencement of a new direct route to Seattle from May 2018. These new services will complement our existing routes to North America which include Miami, Los Angeles, Chicago, Orlando, San Francisco, New York (JFK), Newark, Washington D.C., Boston, Hartford and Toronto.

Airbus A321neo

We plan to significantly expand our long-haul fleet in the coming years with the delivery of at least eight Airbus A321LR (Long-Range) aircraft from 2019. The growth in transatlantic operations is a key element to our strategy of expanding our Dublin Airport base into a major hub. Traditionally, we connected Ireland and North America, whereas today more than a third of our transatlantic guests transit through Dublin connecting to our extensive UK and European network. The convenience of U.S. Customs and Border Protection services at Dublin has enhanced our continued growth and work to create our Dublin operation as a connecting gateway. According to the 2016 league table, Dublin Airport is the fifth largest airport in Europe for North American connectivity having jumped from eleventh position in 2010.