Irish carrier Aer Lingus has taken delivery of its newest Airbus A330-300 aircraft, named for the sixth-century bishop and abbot Saint Carthage the Elder.
Configured with 30 business-class and 283 economy seats, the jet joins a long-haul fleet that now numbers 15 A330-family aircraft. The delivery arrives as Aer Lingus prepares for an expected record summer season, offering 2.5 million seats to 11 North American transatlantic destinations. The expansion includes a new Dublin (DUB) to Miami (MIA) route launching in September.
“The delivery of a new aircraft, particularly an A330, always creates a wave of excitement across the airline and represents a significant investment for Aer Lingus, in growth, in our guest experience and in Dublin as our transatlantic gateway,” said Declan Kearney, director of communications at Aer Lingus. “Summer 2017 will be our busiest on record and the new aircraft will join our long-haul fleet operating 13 routes between Ireland and North America, including Miami, where we will begin flying in September. Aer Lingus remains committed to growing our transatlantic network and connecting Ireland and Europe to even more destinations across North America.”
To support the expanded schedule, Aer Lingus recruited roughly 200 new cabin crew who will operate across its European and long-haul networks, including services on a new route to Croatia. The airline also added about 100,000 extra seats on popular summer leisure routes such as Lanzarote (ACE), Gran Canaria (LPA) and Tenerife (TFN) to meet increased demand.