Aer Lingus takes delivery of its first A321LR long range twin jet

Ireland’s national carrier Aer Lingus has taken delivery of its first of eight A321LR aircraft.

The aircraft on lease from Air Lease Corporation is powered by Leap CFM engines and configured in a two class layout with 16 business and 168 economy seats.

The Dublin based carrier will deploy the aircraft on transatlantic routes to the US East coast.

Aer Lingus currently operates a total of 50 Airbus aircraft including 13 A330s and 37 A320 Family aircraft.

The A321LR and the A330 combined within the same fleet is a powerful lever to cover the needs of the medium to long haul markets.

The A321LR delivers 30 per cent fuel savings and nearly 50 per cent reduction in noise footprint compared to previous generation competitor aircraft.

Airbus says that with a range of up to 4,000nm (7,400km) “the A321LR is the unrivalled long range route opener, featuring true transatlantic capability and premium wide-body comfort in a single aisle aircraft cabin.”