Business

Shamrock‘flying high’ as Aer Lingus celebrates 80th birthday

Pictured with the Iolar at Bristol airport are Aer Lingus cabin crew Laura McCabe and Catherine McDonnell, who are both wearing the very first Aer Lingus uniform worn by cabin crew in 1945. Photo: Dan Regan
Pictured with the Iolar at Bristol airport are Aer Lingus cabin crew Laura McCabe and Catherine McDonnell, who are both wearing the very first Aer Lingus uniform worn by cabin crew in 1945. Photo: Dan Regan Pictured with the Iolar at Bristol airport are Aer Lingus cabin crew Laura McCabe and Catherine McDonnell, who are both wearing the very first Aer Lingus uniform worn by cabin crew in 1945. Photo: Dan Regan

IT was exactly 80 years to the day yesterday that Aer Lingus launched its first ever flight from Baldonnel to Bristol.

And to recognise this milestone, the Dublin-based carrier has flown in the Iolar, a replica of the a six-seater De Havilland 84 Dragon which made that first journey with only five passengers aboard.

While its first aircraft might only have had the capacity to accommodate six passengers, the national airline now boasts a fleet of 62 aircraft and connects 12 million people from Ireland and across the world to more than 100 destinations throughout Europe and North America.

In 1958 marked Aer Lingus completed its first transatlantic flight from Dublin and Shannon to New York, and more than 60 years later the airline operates 12 direct services to North America.

This year is a stand-out year for transatlantic growth as Aer Lingus introduces three new direct routes to North America – Los Angeles, California (which began on May 4), Newark, New Jersey (it commences on September 1) and Hartford, Connecticut,

In its inaugural year Aer Lingus - which currently operates domestic and European routes from the George Best Belfast City Airport - operated three routes, carrying 892 passengers and employed 12 staff.

Today, the airline carries 12 million passengers, flies 117 routes and provides employment to 4,000 staff.