The Airlines: Aer Lingus

Aer Lingus Group Plc (an anglicisation of the Irish Aer Loingeasmeaning "air fleet") is the flag carrier of Ireland. It operates a fleet of Airbus aircraft serving Europe, North America and northern Africa. It is Ireland's oldest extant airline, and its second largest after low-cost rival Ryanair. The airline's head office is located on the grounds of Dublin Airport.

Formed in 1936, Aer Lingus is a former member of the Oneworld airline alliance, which it left on 31 March 2007. While it is not part of alliance, the airline has codeshares with Oneworld, Star Alliance and SkyTeam members, as well as interline agreements with Aer Arann and JetBlue Airways. The company employs 4,000 people and in 2010 had revenues of €1.2 billion. Aer Lingus flew 9.3 million passengers in 2010. It has a mixed business model, operating a low fare service on its European and North African routes and full service, two-class flights on transatlantic routes.

Aer Lingus is 29.4% owned by its rival, Ryanair, and 25.4% owned by the Government of Ireland. The airline was floated on the Dublin and London Stock Exchanges on 2 October 2006, following prior government approval (the government previously owned 85% of the airline). The principal group companies include Aer Lingus Limited, Aer Lingus Beachey Limited, Aer Lingus (Ireland) Limited and Dirnan Insurance Company Limited, all of which are wholly owned.

Aer Lingus is celebrating it's 75th anniversary in 2011. On 26 March, the company presented her latest aircraft which has been painted in the 1960s livery and the crew was wearing a selection of the historical uniforms.

Gaeilge description as follows:



Aerlíne náisiúnta na hÉireann is ea Aer Lingus. Leagan Béarlaithe is ea an t-ainm sin de leagan na Gaeilge, Aerloingeas. Tá ceanncheathrú an chomhlachta suite in Aerfort Bhaile Átha Cliath, agus tá 41 aerárthach den déantús Airbus acu ag taisteal chuig an Eoraip, Stáit Aontaithe Mheiriceá agus Tuaisceart na hAfraice.
Tá 28% den aerlíne faoi úinéireacht Rialtais na hÉireann. Cuireadh an comhlacht i Stocmhalartán na hÉireann agus Stocmhalartán Londain ar an 2 Deireadh Fómhair 2006, tar éis don rialtas cead a thabhairt dó é sin a dhéanamh (bhí 85% den gcomhlacht faoi úinéireacht an Rialtais roimhe sin). Is iarbhall é Aer Lingus den chomhaontas aerlínte Oneworld - d'fhág sé é sin ar 1 Aibreán 2007.


B'ábhar conspóide é in Éirinn (go háirithe san iar-dheisceart) nuair a d'fhógair Aer Lingus i mí Lúnasa, 2007, go raibh sé ag bogadh a chuid eitiltí idir Aerfort na Sionainne agus Aerfort Heathrow i Londain go dtí Aerfort Bhéal Feirste, áit atá siad ag bunú mol nua don aerlíne. I mí Aibreáin 2009 thosaigh Aer Lingus ag eitilt chuig Heathrow ó Aerfort na Sionainne arís de bharr mórán conspóide.
In Aibreán 2009 bhunaigh Aer Lingus a chéad bhunáit taobh amuigh d'oileáin na hÉireann in Aerfort Gatwick i Londain.


Is é Christoph Mueller ceannaire Aer Lingus faoi láthair.