Aer Lingus UK
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Founded | 2020 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Commenced operations | 20 October 2021 | ||||||
AOC # | GB 2471 | ||||||
Operating bases | Manchester Airport | ||||||
Frequent-flyer program | |||||||
Fleet size | 2 | ||||||
Destinations | 4 | ||||||
Parent company | Aer Lingus | ||||||
Headquarters | Belfast, Northern Ireland, U.K. | ||||||
Website | aerlingus.com |
Aer Lingus (U.K.) Limited is a British airline and a sister company of the Irish Aer Lingus. It is headquartered in Belfast, Northern Ireland with its operations based at Manchester Airport. The airline's operations launched on 20 October 2021, with its inaugural flight from Manchester to Barbados.
History
Aer Lingus UK was established during 2020 and headquartered in Belfast, Northern Ireland as a United Kingdom-based airline.[2] By November 2020, plans for the airline involved launching the operation of transatlantic flights from the UK to the United States,[3] with the initial planned destinations consisting of Boston, New York JFK, and Orlando from a base at Manchester Airport.[2][4] The airline's initial fleet plans consisted of two Airbus A321LRs and two Airbus A330-300s, all to be transferred from parent company Aer Lingus.[2][4] The airline would conceptually compete with Virgin Atlantic, another British airline operating transatlantic flights from Manchester, as well as fill in part of the void left by Manchester-based and headquartered Thomas Cook Airlines, which ceased operations in September 2019.[5]
In December 2020, the airline applied with the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) for a foreign air carrier permit,[5] which was approved in March 2021.[6] Parent company Aer Lingus subsequently announced on 24 March 2021 that Manchester-based flights operated by Aer Lingus UK would launch to New York JFK and Orlando on 29 July 2021, to Barbados on 20 October 2021, and to Boston during summer 2022.[7][8] In June 2021, the airline announced that the launch of routes to New York JFK and Orlando would be delayed to 30 September 2021, in anticipation of international borders between Europe and the United States reopening later than expected.[9]
On 8 July 2021, Aer Lingus UK was granted its air operator's certificate (AOC) by the UK CAA.[10][11] The airline also submitted its AOC to the USDOT for the approval of its application.[11] In the days prior to receiving its AOC, the airline officially transferred one Airbus A330-300 from parent company Aer Lingus, with the transfer of one Airbus A321LR and a further Airbus A330-300 following.[12] On 25 August 2021, the airline's services to the United States were again postponed, with their launch delayed to December 2021.[13] Aer Lingus UK's scheduled flights to Barbados were unaffected, and the airline's operations began with the route's launch on 20 October 2021.[14]
Destinations
Aer Lingus UK operates to the following destinations as of December 2021[update]:
Country | City | Airport | Start date | End date | Notes | Refs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Barbados | Bridgetown | Grantley Adams International Airport | 20 October 2021 | Present | Seasonal | [8] |
United Kingdom | Manchester | Manchester Airport | 20 October 2021 | Present | Base | [8] |
United States | New York City | John F. Kennedy International Airport | 1 December 2021 | Present | [13] | |
Orlando | Orlando International Airport | 11 December 2021 | Present | [13] |
Fleet
As of July 2022[update], Aer Lingus UK operates the following aircraft:[15][16]
Aircraft | In service |
Orders | Passengers | Notes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
J | Y | Total | ||||
Airbus A321LR | 1 | — | 16 | 168 | 184 | G-EIRH. Transferred from Aer Lingus. |
Airbus A330-300 | 1 | — | 30 | 287 | 317 | G-EILA. Transferred from Aer Lingus. |
Total | 2 | — |
References
- ^ "AerClub". Aer Lingus. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
- ^ a b c Miller, Seth (10 December 2020). "Aer Lingus Launches UK subsidiary, applies for US route authorities". PaxEx.Aero. Proton Associates, LLC. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
- ^ O'Connor, Fearghal (1 November 2020). "Aer Lingus in British government talks on direct UK-US flights". Irish Independent. Independent News & Media. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
- ^ a b O'Halloran, Barry (11 December 2020). "Aer Lingus to move aircraft from Ireland to UK for US flights". The Irish Times. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
- ^ a b Calder, Simon (4 January 2021). "UK has new low-cost transatlantic airline flying from Manchester – and it's Irish". The Independent. Independent Digital News & Media Ltd. Archived from the original on 4 January 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
- ^ Mulligan, John (9 March 2021). "Aer Lingus gets nod to start selling seats on UK-US services". Irish Independent. Independent News & Media. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
- ^ Delahaye, Julie (24 March 2021). "Aer Lingus launches new direct UK-US flights with fares from £199 each way". Daily Mirror. MGN Limited. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
- ^ a b c "Aer Lingus launches four new direct, non-stop transatlantic flights from Manchester creating up to 120 jobs" (Press release). Aer Lingus. 24 March 2021. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
- ^ Goodbody, Will (16 June 2021). "Aer Lingus delays start of Manchester-US routes". Raidió Teilifís Éireann. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
- ^ "Aer Lingus's British unit secures AOC". ch-aviation. 11 July 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
- ^ a b "Supplement to Joint Application of Aer Lingus (U.K.) Limited and Aer Lingus Limited". Regulations.gov. 7 July 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
- ^ "Aer Lingus (UK) receives AOC". Scramble. 13 July 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
- ^ a b c O'Halloran, Barry (25 August 2021). "Aer Lingus delays launch of Manchester-US flights". The Irish Times. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
- ^ Brandler, Hannah (21 October 2021). "Aer Lingus launches Manchester-Barbados flights". Business Traveller. Panacea Media Limited. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
- ^ "Aircraft register (G-INFO)". Civil Aviation Authority (United Kingdom). Retrieved 18 November 2021.
- ^ "Aer Lingus UK Fleet Details and History". Planespotters.net. 2 October 2021. Retrieved 8 October 2021.