Aer Lingus has taken delivery of its first two new Airbus A321XLR planes in Dublin Airport.
The new aircraft are the first two of six new Airbus planes for the airline and they will be used on its existing transatlantic routes as well as new destinations such as Nashville and Indianapolis next year.
The new planes are registered as EI-XLR St Lelia / Liadhain and EI-XLT St Melanie / Mella.
The A321XLR is a single-aisle extra-long-range aircraft flying up to 8,700km, a 15% increase in range compared to the A321LR.
Aer Lingus is the second airline in the world to operate the A321XLR as well as the second in its parent International Airlines Group (IAG).
The Aer Lingus A321XLR is configured with 184 seats in a two-class layout featuring 16 full-flat Business Class and 168 Economy Class seats.
The new planes has up to 20% lower fuel burn per seat than similar previous generation aircraft and is capable of operating with up to 50% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).
Lynne Embleton, Aer Lingus chief executive, said the arrival of the two new Airbus planes mark a significant milestone for Aer Lingus.
"The long-range capabilities of the XLR enable us to travel deeper into North America, offering previously unserved markets greater connectivity to Europe through our Dublin hub," the CEO said.
"Both new XLR aircraft will operate on our newly announced routes to Nashville and Indianapolis for summer 2025. Looking ahead, we're on target to expand our XLR fleet from two to six aircraft in 2025, further strengthening our position as a market leader in North American connectivity," she added.
