Aer Lingus Fleet/Routes Discussion

Nijmegen

EI-LAX has just come back from Bordeaux as EI2505. Was over there since 28 Jan, and had been there just a year ago also. Ongoing issues?

LXFlyer

Nijmegen wrote: »

EI-LAX has just come back from Bordeaux as EI2505. Was over there since 28 Jan, and had been there just a year ago also. Ongoing issues?

Annual exams - this is the period when the A330 fleet have downtime.

Van.Bosch

LXFlyer wrote: »

Annual exams - this is the period when the A330 fleet have downtime.

Repainted?

kevinandrew

I don't think any are getting repainted abroad are they? The contract is with IAC so that's either Dublin and Shannon or possibly Ostrava which is where the two former Aeroflot A320s were repainted before delivery to Aer Lingus.

ohigg84

LXFlyer wrote: »

Annual exams - this is the period when the A330 fleet have downtime.

A333 EI-EAV also came back from maintenance yesterday evening, from Perpignan.


EI-EDY went to Bordeaux late yesterday evening, but obviously the crew were also going over there (BOD) to pick up LAX.


LAX is an incredible bird, and my favourite 330 in the EI fleet, truly a workhorse.

duskyjoe

ohigg84 wrote: »

.


LAX is an incredible bird, and my favourite 330 in the EI fleet, truly a workhorse.

Agree......it actually was the most reliable aircraft in the fleet upto last year before through no fault of its own got whacked in a hangar and needed serious skin work and extended downtime.

Bussywussy

duskyjoe wrote: »

Agree......it actually was the most reliable aircraft in the fleet upto last year before through no fault of its own got whacked in a hangar and needed serious skin work and extended downtime.

Yea it amazing how reliable it is and it shows up how people think the cosmetic crap on the inside make it any less reliable...

NH2013

Anyone know yet if the 321Neo will operate the new MSP route? It's still showing the 757 in the booking engine though I've also heard talk of it being an A330 route initially due the runway length in Dublin until the new North Runway opens.

Shamrockj

NH2013 wrote: »

Anyone know yet if the 321Neo will operate the new MSP route? It's still showing the 757 in the booking engine though I've also heard talk of it being an A330 route initially due the runway length in Dublin until the new North Runway opens.

I doubt it will be operated by the A330 there is no gaps in the fleet during the summer as far as I know.

Candamir

NH2013 wrote: »

Anyone know yet if the 321Neo will operate the new MSP route? It's still showing the 757 in the booking engine though I've also heard talk of it being an A330 route initially due the runway length in Dublin until the new North Runway opens.

Heard the same rumour from management side. I presume they’ll just have to sub an east coast to free up a 330. Makes much more sense than trying to squeeze MSP out of a 321.

Tenger

NH2013 wrote: »

Anyone know yet if the 321Neo will operate the new MSP route? It's still showing the 757 in the booking engine though I've also heard talk of it being an A330 route initially due the runway length in Dublin until the new North Runway opens.

Company statement was that MSP would launch with B757, Montreal with the A321LR. A later statement announced Hartford would get A321LR from July 1st.

B757s are supposed to leave service Summer 2020, thus current B757 routes will transition to A321LR once they get more airframes (think it’s 3 this year and 5 in 2020)

I would guess that long term plan is for some successful A321LR route to upgrade to A330. Others may benefit more from multiple A321LR services, BOS and JFK perhaps?

cluane

Will EI be getting A330neo aircraft or will the current ones be replaced by the A350? Also, will they get the A320neo?

NH2013

cluane wrote: »

Will EI be getting A330neo aircraft or will the current ones be replaced by the A350? Also, will they get the A320neo?

Two 330neos on order for delivery next year apparently, no talk officially on the 320Neo but it would follow that eventually the 320Ceo fleet would be rolled over and replaced by Neo engines.

kevinandrew

cluane wrote: »

Will EI be getting A330neo aircraft or will the current ones be replaced by the A350? Also, will they get the A320neo?

No firm plans for any of the above at the moment. 

Current long haul fleet plan is: 14 A321LR + 16 A330s by 2023, after that is anyone's guess. The short haul fleet will need renewal eventually but it's not urgent, the A320neo is the most likely replacement when the time comes but absolutely nothing has been said publicly about this.

alancostello

NH2013 wrote: »

Two 330neos on order for delivery next year apparently, no talk officially on the 320Neo but it would follow that eventually the 320Ceo fleet would be rolled over and replaced by Neo engines.

I know IAG had said they were mulling the neo for future A330 orders, but hadn't seen anything about it confirmed? If anything I would have thought more ex-QR birds or others like them would be the source of additions to the fleet.

kevinandrew

At the rebrand the head of fleet planning confirmed two additional A330s would join next year, he made no reference to them being the NEO variant or if they would be new builds or second hand. IAG has a grand total of zero orders for the A330neo so I think it's very unlikely it's coming to Aer Lingus anytime soon. 

Hopefully the two additional A330s due next year are new builds or if they are second hand, they get a cabin refit before entering service, that ex-Qatar A330 has been getting pretty poor reviews from passengers, particularly those sitting up front.

alancostello

kevinandrew wrote: »

At the rebrand the head of fleet planning confirmed two additional A330s would join next year, he made no reference to them being the NEO variant or if they would be new builds or second hand. IAG has a grand total of zero orders for the A330neo so I think it's very unlikely it's coming to Aer Lingus anytime soon. 

Hopefully the two additional A330s due next year are new builds or if they are second hand, they get a cabin refit before entering service, that ex-Qatar A330 has been getting pretty poor reviews from passengers, particularly those sitting up front.

EI-GEY doesn't seem to have flown yesterday or today, I wonder is it finally gone in for refitting, it was supposed to happen before the beginning of the summer season from what I remember.

Tenger

cluane wrote: »

Will EI be getting A330neo aircraft or will the current ones be replaced by the A350? Also, will they get the A320neo?

1;Probably at some point.
2;Not for at least 10 years.
3;Probably at some point.

kevinandrew

alancostello wrote: »

EI-GEY doesn't seem to have flown yesterday or today, I wonder is it finally gone in for refitting, it was supposed to happen before the beginning of the summer season from what I remember.

Hope so. It had been confined to the IAD route for months, which tells you everything you need to know about the yields to IAD but recently it's had more varied missions with it turning up anywhere between YYZ and MIA.

flange888

Two new A330's CEO one due November this year the other early next year both new builds exact same spec as GAJ and GCF

kevinandrew

flange888 wrote: »

Two new A330's CEO one due November this year the other early next year both new builds exact same spec as GAJ and GCF

Great news. Thanks for the info.

Mahony0509

Would really love to see an A350 with Aer Lingus. So much opportunity with one of those, beautiful birds too.

alancostello

Mahony0509 wrote: »

Would really love to see an A350 with Aer Lingus. So much opportunity with one of those, beautiful birds too.

It'll come eventually I'd say, currently no real specific need for it, A332s and the HGW A330s can serve the longest routes in EI's portfolio, and range is the biggest benefit the A350 would bring from an operational standpoint.

I'd imagine they'd prefer to increase capacity through higher frequency rather than larger aircraft, as it allows them to tailor it more to seasonal variability (Chicago as an example, has had triple daily A330 service during peak summer, while currently it's doing one daily a330 and the second daily alternates between 757 and a330, and it has been as low as single daily a330 in past winters).

If EI decide to introduce Premium Economy or they see an increase in Business Class traffic and need bigger J cabins the A350 might prove more useful, otherwise you're looking at a lot more economy seats to fill in the off season than you'd have on an A330.

Third_Echelon

flange888 wrote: »

Two new A330's CEO one due November this year the other early next year both new builds exact same spec as GAJ and GCF

Good to hear! I've flown on both and the cabin product is so much nicer... seatback USB charging ports for one thing...

Locker10a

alancostello wrote: »

EI-GEY doesn't seem to have flown yesterday or today, I wonder is it finally gone in for refitting, it was supposed to happen before the beginning of the summer season from what I remember.

I could be wrong but I think it’s sitting outside Hangar 6, not sure what for, but doesn't look like if it’s having a refit

Bussywussy

GEY will go for maintenance when EDY is finished in BOD

Van.Bosch

Is the first EI A321LR due in July? If so, when would this start on the airbus production line?

alancostello

Davydout wrote: »

Will they get 777Xs to replace the A330s?

For the same reasons they're not getting the A350s (and others), no, at least not for the foreseeable future.

Marcusm

Davydout wrote: »

Will they get 777Xs to replace the A330s?

More likely get 744s.

Shn99

WX Avro EI RJI flew to Rome FCO today for painting into full cs.