Aer Lingus, Ireland’s national carrier, confirmed on Friday that it has signed a leasing deal for two new Airbus A320neo aircraft to join its fleet.
Two new aircraft join the club
Aer Lingus will be welcoming two new Airbus A320neo aircraft to its short-haul fleet from next month – the carrier will be keen to make use of the aircraft’s impressive efficiency short-haul (environmentally and financially) and passenger comfort that makes it perfect for short- and medium-haul routes across the globe.
Aer Lingus CEO Lynne Embleton commented on the leasing deal in a company statement with a positive air:
“This is a great opportunity to bring new, state-of-the-art aircraft into our short-haul fleet. Renewing our fleet is one of the key ways for Aer Lingus to meet our sustainability targets, which is a priority for us over the coming years. The new generation Airbus A320neo aircraft is much more sustainable in terms of fuel burn and CO2 emissions and this is not only important to Aer Lingus but also to our customers. Equally, these more environmentally-friendly aircraft incur lower landing charges in some key airports so the new A320neos will help us to reduce costs.”
The leasing agreement was conducted with CDB Aviation, a well-known global full-service aircraft leasing company with a fleet of 368 aircraft and an impressive customer base of 64 lessees in 28 countries and regions which includes the likes of Wizz Air and WestJet.
Aer Lingus will be receiving two A320neos that were originally destined for Russian carrier Smartavia.
One of those aircraft, under registration EI-NSB, was spotted in Aer Lingus’ livery in the Czech Republic’s Leoš Janáček Airport in the city of Ostrava.
As of May 2022, Aer Lingus’ fleet is exclusively Airbus and already owns one A320neo.
At some point from 2023, Aer Lingus is expecting to add an Airbus A321XLR to its fleet.
What are your thoughts on Aer Lingus adding two Airbus A320neos to its all-star Airbus fleet via lease? Let us know in the comments below.
