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

Tequila

They have to get a temporary agreement with the pilots through due rest area rules. Unlikely to be an issue. Maybe hold off booking for two weeks and keep and eye on the AL website for it going live for bookings?

It's a great expansion for the airline and a great extra choice and convience for the customer. Hope it does well.

If there was any talk of replacing the A330s, I'd imagine it's on ice now with the current environment. A couple of tough years ahead potentially. Some of the damage could be mitigated by moving capacity to Canada, but that's already a very competitive market. If they felt that they couldn't run a 321 against AC on YUL, hard to see how they could drop 330s into the market.

BGI and CUN might be options too but with all that's potentially coming down the tracks for vital industries to the economy like Pharma, tech, agri foods etc, people might be looking at tightening their belts.

If MAN pilots are seemingly confident of expansion there soon, perhaps a CUN route might be done by EIUK? It would make sense given the strength of the Caribbean from Manchester.

Aren't refits expected later this year or early next year for the A330s? Wouldn't be too difficult to fit crew rests into the two capable aircraft if needed.

That said, with the uncertainty around the global economy and the reported softness in US forward bookings, I wouldn't be surprised to see a slightly larger than usual reduction in US flying next winter to facilitate any new winter long haul route.

It's quite easy to see a drop in a LAX rotation for example and enable a non US flight if it comes down to that. I don't think airframes will be a shortage at the moment.

Fairly sure FNG/FNH are 242T structurally but registered as 233T if there is a pay Airbus situation involved who knows

Its a loss of 4 seats and some hold space

Original -300 MTOW was a 212T…

ORD was as far as you would want to go so perfect for EI at the time.

Quick check of winter schedule and 4/6 LAX for winter 25/26 schedule swtiched to -200. AFAIK it was almost all -300 this winter. 1/3 Vegas is also donw for -200 but this might have happened after it was released last year as well.

They should have enough crew rest frames to allow non US over winter. I presume if they are short ORD will get an XLR service as the -200s in the past were heavily utilized on this route in winter.

Question if it's Cancun and from DUB is it x2 or x3 weekly…

DVE returning to Dublin 21:50 tonight

For augmented crew operations, a dedicated pilot rest area is a requirement. Aircraft that lack that facility can substitute it with a blocked off business class seat that has a privacy curtain, but only if the pilots agree to it.

UK crew operate on a separate license so it wouldn’t work in the way you imagine. DUB based crew have operated MAN routes in the past but that was via a CAA agreement which allowed for EI frames and DUB crews to operate MAN routes in winter while the G reg’s were in maintenance.

Still at least the wine seems to be OK.