The newest and largest aircraft in the Aer Lingus fleet arrives at Dublin Airport.
The 385 seater Boeing 747 jumbo jet, St Colmcille, is the first of two aircraft ordered by Aer Lingus. It will go into service on the transatlantic route in the coming months.
Flown from Washington state, USA, where the Boeing production facility is located, it is led to its parking bay by a tiny five-seater De Havilland plane 'Dragon', a sister of the 'Iolar', the aircraft that inaugurated Aer Lingus services in May 1936.
On the tarmac to greet the St Colmcille are Brian Lenihan, Minister for Transport and Power, Brian Lenihan, Patrick Lynch, Chairman of Aer Lingus, and Michael Dargan, Aer Lingus General Manager.
Everything has gone according to plan, and Aer Lingus pilot Captain Pete Little describes it as a dream of an aeroplane.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 6 March 1971. The reporter is Micheál Ó Briain.
Some sections of the footage shown here have natural sound only.
