Aer Lingus announced its biggest ever purchase of aircraft as part of its plan to add new routes.
The airline has bought 12 new long-haul jets from Airbus after a hot competition with rival aircraft manufacturer Boeing.
The new A350 XWBs and A330-300Es will double the airline's long-distance fleet.
While the catalogue price of the aircraft is €1.8bn, Aer Lingus says it negotiated 'exceptional discounts'.
The airline already announced new routes to Washington, San Francisco and Orlando in anticipation of the new Open Skies Agreement.
Aer Lingus says the new planes will start arriving in 2009 and could lead to new routes to the US, Asia and South Africa.
