Aer Lingus Fleet/ Routes Discussion Pt 2 (ALL possible routes included)

Astral Nav

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123349356#Comment_123349356

The delights of Brexit. That would have been a good way of doing it had the UK not left. It not only left the EU but EASA too which Turkey and Morocco are members of. Hence two AOCs, licences, paperwork and a lot more to do the same kind of flying.

StakeholderValue

New winter route will be Cancun out of DUB.

Touristx73

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123350385#Comment_123350385

Saw this in the airliners.net thread too. Is that certain?

WishUWereHere

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123350385#Comment_123350385

I’m no expert but is there enough footfall to Cancun to fill an ( I assume ) A330? Or is the flight stopping on the way in Florida perhaps?

Bit of a gamble I think - hope it works for AL.

Touristx73

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123351160#Comment_123351160

Might steal a bit of the market away from Orlando and the like with the situation in the US at the moment, and some stimulation of demand

sherology

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123351273#Comment_123351273

Based on year on year reductions of US visitors from Europe (not just Irl)... I think it's wise. The LR/XLRs may well be the backbone to east/mid-west US going forward. Partnerships/interlining with WestJet or AirCan might be an idea... EI might have the capacity to expand into Canada and maybe do Montreal, St. Johns year round with European connections with such agreements.

https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2025/0413/1507411-visitor-numbers-ireland-us/

Locker10a

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123351160#Comment_123351160

I’m sure they will tie-up with some of the travel agents, and with good promotion I think it will do well from Ireland.
They’ll also sell plenty of connections I’m sure

Jamie2k9

Just an opinion but I think LAS service could be why they are looking at Cancun. It's new customer base and non US POS which is positive. Scheduling to LAS/CUN are identical and fortunately the distance slots into the morning/evening scheduies between DUB-FRA/MUC/BCN/BER/FCO/BRU very well. This offers far better connections which recent US routes such as MSP/BNA/IND has lacked. Not forgetting the core UK/AMS/CDG.

California Dreamer

I assume the BNA first flight was busy, any idea about future bookings?

Captain_Crash

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123352552#Comment_123352552

90%LF, 80% today.

bikeman1

Cancún is a great destination. Brilliant winter sunshine, lots of interesting things to do.

The hotels do class service, all you can eat and drink. You have Playa Del Carmen which is a lovely place if you don’t want the Cancún package. The island at Cozumel is brilliant fun and you have Tulum to do.

Highly recommend it. We also have a considerable Mexican population in Dublin (I have a two Mexican friends), who could use this as a first hop home, with good internal flights from there.

And finally, it pivots away from USA, which is needed for the next 4 years.

jwm121

If it is marketed well and the awareness of it gets around with a bit of time I think they can make it work. If it is announced I'll definitely be looking at a trip there instead of New York, which is what I was originally planning.

Locker10a

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123352552#Comment_123352552

No proof or evidence for this but I had heard it was rumoured internally to be one of the best routes they have ever launched for forward bookings prior to commencement.

cson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123351273#Comment_123351273

There wouldn't be a huge intersection of travellers substituting Cancun for Orlando tbh.

Probably makes sense with the softness in the US market to start thinking about how to fill planes *from* DUB. The depreciating dollar, economic uncertainty going US→Europe and the negative sentiment for anyone going the other way is going to be a problem for EI. The CLE/BNA/MSP ect of this world might struggle.

California Dreamer

I am hearing that there is a bit of a seat penalty on the XLR. It is not performing the way is should be with the stronger head winds and wanting to avoid a fuel stop, a number of rows are empty on certain flights.

EchoIndia

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123355555#Comment_123355555

I'd heard that as an issue on BNA but the other current A321 routes are not XLR-dependent, AFAIK. Can you clarify?

Captain_Crash

I head that rumor and there was a rumor of it being on the A330 too. But Saturdays flight went out pretty much full so unless they’re taking a cargo penalty? But I doubt there is much cargo in the belly to begin with.

Tenger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123350432#Comment_123350432

Yes. Polled staff agreed to it, over 90% in favour.

jmcgold

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123357624#Comment_123357624

Any indication as to when it is likely to be officially announced?

LimaBravoTango

EI-XLV had an engine run and taxi check at XFW yesterday.
https://aviation.flights/aib/A320/12248&notification_id=178933

Locker10a

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123359121#Comment_123359121

Vegas was announced last May .. if that’s anything to go by

jreams08

Should EI not take a look at Brazil and South Africa, two markets with demand, their surrounding regions are unserved from Dublin, ultimately connecting Ireland to many different corners of the planet and winding itself off its reliability on North America.

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123363188#Comment_123363188

Brazil has pathetically low margins. South Africa isn't much better. Both discussed in great, great detail here before

Dodge

it’s hilarious that some here don’t think that every airline, including aer Lingus, looks at every possible route

You can argue risk v conservatism but surely everyone knows they at least consider every possible way to make money

cson

Yep the 3x TP DUB-LIS flights are capturing all the Brazilians living in Ireland, easy connect to airports closest their home city & super margin sensitive and you'd have to fill an EI 330 with very high fares in both cabins to justify a DUB-GRU/GIG direct.

Tenger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123363188#Comment_123363188

They have "taken a look" at both of these markets.

Shamrockj

I would guess that margins on Brazil are pretty low but South Africa would have pretty good margins considering the fares available online are in the region of €1,000-€1,300 return for fares from Europe to CPT. You can fly DUB-LAX for regularly for half that with not that much shorter a flight time.

Bear in mind yields on US flights are down with the increased competition.

I think nothing is off the table but will be slow growth as always with EI. Could a return to DXB work on the A321neo?

Noxegon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123363888#Comment_123363888

I can't see any benefit for EI in going head to head with Emirates on the DXB route.

Astral Nav

Some months ago this thread developed into a fantasy routes theme which began to become ridiculous with armchair airline CEOs thinking of a city and saying 'DUB-XXX could work'. We may be skimming close to that again.

Brazil is a huge country, where do most Brazilian citizens living here come from? Several cities? Serve them all? Transfer to airlines who do? Lack of geographical advantage (Portugal is on the way)? Brand awareness? Low yield? Maybe, just maybe EI have considered this.

Cape Town. Amazing place, stunning scenery, great food and wine. It was done on a charter flight in the boom years via a travel agent who went bust. Trouble is it's a long, long way so crew and fuel costs high. Not much biz traffic, limited but possible freight and over flight costs for a lot of African countries who like to charge for an air traffic control service without actually providing one.

The above may just be doable particularly with the US situation but are not automatic gold mines and that has been considered. Airline planners don't just walk up to a giant Mercator projection, point at a city and go 'let's do it!'

Hopefully a bit of choice for the consumer with some new destinations but be a bit realistic.

goingnowhere

Cape Town is out, too far, too thin, no history or freight. Ireland now requires visa's for SA nationals.

Brazil there is no doubt there is traffic flow from Ireland but low yield as above

US is down but there is potential if EI pushed Pre Clearance aggressively especially in corporate sales. Everything is already in place. This could become a huge advantage for EI.

EI needs to look at other options, Scandinavia is unserved, CPH, ARN and HEL previously had service. SAS has been on the ropes for years.

Canada needs to be upscaled, very simple start with Montreal, look at Vancouver. Canadians are pivoting away from US travel.

Being everyone in IAG is friends and that Qatar owns a chunk there was talk of EI operating to Doha in the past with a 321LR