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

Shamrockj

Yesterday saw the first flight from Dublin to San Francisco since the start of the pandemic. EI61

bikeman1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118315519#Comment_118315519

Great to see the SFO coming back. I'll miss the old flight numbers 147 out and 146 back.

Kcormahs

Will Aer Lingus start a codeshare with Finnair now that they are part of the JV? Or is the JV on american routes reserved to BA/AA connections?

EchoIndia

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118315519#Comment_118315519

ATC callsign is EIN961 outbound, 960 for the return.

Van.Bosch

Emerald to start ops on 17 March

Locker10a

I see EI are operating Warsaw today, I assume this is special Xmas capacity to accommodate the diaspora and family traveling for Xmas !?

Clon63

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118086083#Comment_118086083

Alicante, Perpignan and Santorini are now back in the schedule - 5 weekly, 3 weekly and 2 weekly respectively in July.

The ex Dublin routes still missing now are Bologna, Budapest, Catania, Montpellier , Pula and Rhodes as far as I can make out, Who knows if any of those others will eventually appear in the schedule but at this point probably unlikely.

The Aer Lingus Regional flights are now back in the schedule also. It Looks like 6 based ATRs will be neded for the planned programme. The schedule looks very similar to the 2019 version although a big drop in capacity to Edinburugh but still 4 per day as is Glasgow which is agood schedule. Manchester is scheduled for 3 ATR flights along with the 2 A320s while Birmingham has 2 ATRs and 2 A320s. Newcastle, Newquay and new route Exeter are there at 5 per week with Isle Of Man at 6 per week (replacing the 2 daily ATR42s) but Jersey is Saturday only. Obviously Kerry and Donegal are gone along with Aberdeen which is not surprising since Loganair filled the absence on this route. No flights listed for Rennes either.

Claiomh

Just had a flight from Hamburg to Dublin in January cancelled. Seems they are going back to a 2x weekly for the next month at least. Reckon this is due to poor loadings/ Ryanair competition on the route or something else? Hopefully not the start of a long term trend as its a very useful route for me and the early flight back is convenient. Frankfurt also seems to be pulled until the start of March.

Locker10a

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118370961#Comment_118370961

Both Aer Lingus and Ryanair have announced cancellations and reduced schedules due to current travel restrictions. Thousands of cancellations /postponed trips due to the testing requirements, once this is ditched please god by spring schedules will reflect demand again

Locker10a

Noticed a couple of tweaks to the summer schedule, e.g. NOC-LGW will operate an earlier lunchtime 1300 departure as opposed to previous years where it was a convenient late evening departure.

Also see ORK-AGP will be operated by a DUB aircraft on a W pattern.

Im sure there’s more others may notice too.

Does anyone know how many 321neo will be in service in DUB this summer and how many(if any) will be deployed on first wave Euro departures ?

Shamrockj

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118443748#Comment_118443748

It should be 5 NEO’s based in Dublin.

2 for Washington

1 for Toronto

1 for Newark

1 for Philadelphia

as for European Routes on the NEO at the moment only LHR is scheduled for it but I’m sure more will be scheduled with it as time goes on also as Philadelphia and the second daily Washington are scheduled for evening departure there will be more flying time for the neos duding the day in Dublin.

California Dreamer

I’m open to correction by our more experienced members but I heard a whisper that EI wet leasing in aircraft to operate from MAN in May & June due to lack of available aircraft.

Locker10a

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118479449#Comment_118479449

Do you mean wet leasing EIUK to cover Dublin ops?

kevinandrew

Aer Lingus leasing themselves one of the MAN based aircraft seems pretty plausible, with MAN-BGI winter seasonal they have a spare A330 sitting there from late April.

It would mean the MAN base operating the daily JFK and MCO routes with no back ups but that’s hardly an unusual move from Aer Lingus for peak summer.

California Dreamer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118480151#Comment_118480151

Nope, as in getting someone in to cover uk ops. Like the Titan/Omni service they had a few times.

Locker10a

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118483042#Comment_118483042

I wonder does that indicate an A330 being transferred back to the Irish register then?

There are currently 3 frames based in MAN, x2 a330 and x1 321neo

As far as I know this summer they’re operating x1 daily JFK and x1 daily MCO ? Would they need 3 frames ?

kevinandrew

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118483042#Comment_118483042

Doesn’t bode well for the MAN base if this turns out to be true.

Aer Lingus is competing with the likes of Virgin Atlantic and TUI, both very well regarded carriers in the market and with excellent on board service, particularly the former. Aer Lingus has already entered the market with a product below the standards of Virgin, they can’t really afford to lower that offering any further.

If they do, it suggests they’re not in it for the long term and if they are, they’ll have an even bigger struggle winning back passengers they’ve lost by using wet leased aircraft in their first summer at Manchester.

California Dreamer

I hope I’m wrong so!

Locker10a

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118484272#Comment_118484272

Yeah wouldn’t be a great sign for the MAN ops if this is happening and so early on…. But on the other hand, it’s maybe a sign they’re moving aircraft back to Dublin? Indicating a strong rebound in demand for the operation there …

kevinandrew

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118486414#Comment_118486414

There’s definitely a considerable return of confidence in the Irish market, one that has likely taken Aer Lingus by surprise considering its generally pessimistic outlook. This has no doubt been enhanced further by the recent relaxing of travel requirements but their “ambitious” summer schedule ex-Ireland has been in place for a while now and they most certainly have enough aircraft available without the need to take from other bases unless even more routes and frequencies are to be added ex-Ireland!

Considering this rumoured lease is just for May & June, it suggests bad planning rather than a sudden demand based need for aircraft back in Dublin. Maybe they don’t plan on bringing back the stored A333s (EI-EIL & EI-EIK) until later in the summer, hence the need for something to cover in May & June?

Manchester is a good opportunity for Aer Lingus, particularly as they become more involved with the joint venture business and start to play a bigger role strategically so messing about with it, no matter how temporarily, would be a big risk in its long term viability.

There are also some really healthy loads ex-MAN in late spring and early Summer, would be a real shame for them to ruin that vital first impression.

Locker10a

https://m.independent.ie/business/irish/aer-lingus-warning-as-debts-mount-41241459.html

In other news they’re looking to “replace 20 short haul aircraft” however doesn’t mention how soon.

California Dreamer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118487017#Comment_118487017

Is there not a chance that EI management could shoot themselves in the foot over these demands for pay freezes and cut backs?

The world wide labour market is looking to better itself and taking abuse off customers for little more than minimum wage is not high on peoples wish list. All well and good 'threatening' far few airplanes and far fewer jobs but when you have a fluid workforce that doesn't really care that much what have you got left to threaten?

So go on EI, move to an outsourced model and then wonder why the last bit of good will goes down the crapper because the people looking after your flight are on €10.50 an hour!

kevinandrew

Sounds like the usual sabre ratting from management, playing the victim and claiming all sorts of doom and gloom is facing the airline. Unfortunately for management it seems to forget that its own marketing team just released news of bumper bookings and strong forward demand for the year, it also boasts an “ambitious” summer schedule not far off 2019 levels. These are hardly the moves of an airline at risk of “far fewer airplanes and far fewer jobs” is it?

There’s no denying Aer Lingus has faced difficulties during this pandemic, more than most in Europe in fact, but there’s also no denying management see this as an excellent opportunity to drive costs down further and will pull out the usual tricks to do so.

Locker10a

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118489098#Comment_118489098

Yes, I saw it entirely from the perspective that it was written for the labor court as part of a case aiming to achieve lower costs from that work group.

But did find it interesting they mentioned replacing 20 aircraft, it’s didn’t give a timeframe but something must be moving in that regard

kevinandrew

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118490025#Comment_118490025

Yeah I think it was quietly rumoured last year that they were looking at a short haul replacement so good to see it confirmed.

I’d love to see the A220 included but I think they’ll play it safe with a like for like A320neo replacement order.

Locker10a

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118487456#Comment_118487456

Yeah agreed, plus I’d imagine outsourcing will mean having to offer redeployment to current ground staff or redundancy… probably quite a costly bill… I’ve no idea but guessing the number of ground staff would be in the hundreds, and would it be worth the upheaval entering the spring/summer season. When they should be focusing everything on a bumper summer to make up for the past two lost years.

I truly hope sense will prevail all round

Locker10a

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118490196#Comment_118490196

Yeah the a220 would be exciting but 320neo would just make so much sense, engineers, pilots and crew already trained for type. Can very easily be introduced to current ops.

I suppose it depends on how many they can tap from the IAG pool, or if there’s even availability here

California Dreamer

So what’s still in storage?

2 321 ceo

3 333 and 1 332?

If summer looks as busy as they think it will be would it not make sense to bring something spare back into regular ops?

kevinandrew

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118492261#Comment_118492261

2 A333 - EI-EIK & EI-EIL

3 A332 - EI-DAA, EI-DUO & EI-GEY

The the current summer schedule absolutely requires some of these to be back, the A333s almost certainly and possibly the A332s for additional lift or back up.

It’s why the rumoured temporary lease in cover for Aer Lingus UK in May & June doesn’t make much sense unless the airline has no intention of bringing any of these stored frames back into service before that date.

kevinandrew

Despite its apparent poor performance, MAN-BGI has been put on sale for next winter at the same 3x weekly schedule.

It joins JFK & MCO which were confirmed for winter a number of weeks back.

I’m hoping BOS makes an appearance again, most likely next summer at this rate. The US routes are proving popular and its currently unserved by anyone.