Aer Lingus is set to receive a ninth Airbus A320neo after its parent company, International Airlines Group (IAG), exercised a purchase option with Airbus, according to the airframer’s latest commercial orders and deliveries update released on September 2.
The single-aisle aircraft was listed in Airbus’s August market update as part of ongoing fleet modernization efforts by IAG, which is phasing out older Airbus A320ceo models in favour of the more fuel-efficient A320neo family.
The order builds on a broader agreement reached between IAG and Airbus on July 28, 2022. That deal supplemented earlier commitments made in March and June of the same year, including the proposed purchase of 37 additional A320neo family aircraft for delivery between 2025 and 2028.
IAG stated at the time that its short-haul fleet strategy aims “gradually to replace its current fleet of Airbus A320ceo family aircraft in order to benefit from improved operating costs of new generation aircraft and to manage the fleet age appropriately.”
Aer Lingus currently operates eight A320neo aircraft, including two leased from lessor CDB Aviation. The aircraft are primarily deployed on the airline’s European network, as well as key routes connecting Cork, Dublin, Ireland West Airport, and Shannon to London Heathrow.
The delivery date for the newly confirmed A320neo has not yet been disclosed, but it is expected to arrive within the 2025–2028 timeframe outlined in IAG’s agreement with Airbus.
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