Aer Lingus
IrelandFull-service carrierSince 1936
Aer Lingus (IATA EI, ICAO EIN) is Ireland's national airline and part of International Airlines Group, flying from Dublin to Europe and North America. It carried 11.3 million passengers in 2025 and serves 26 North American destinations for 2026, many with Airbus A321XLRs. It left oneworld in 2007 and belongs to no alliance.
- Founded
- 1936
- First flight
- 1936
- Headquarters
- Dublin Airport, Dublin, Ireland
- Country
- Ireland
- Main hubs
- Dublin Airport (DUB)
- Airline type
- Full-service carrier
- Alliance
- None
- Loyalty
- AerClub
- Parent
- International Airlines Group (IAG)
- Ownership
- Part of International Airlines Group (IAG) since 2015. IAG holds 49.75% of the voting rights and the majority of the economic rights in Aer Lingus Group DAC; the other 50.25% of voting rights sit with a trust set up for the Aer Lingus nationality structure.
- Callsign
- SHAMROCK
- Website
- aerlingus.com
How travel agents book Aer Lingus
GDS distribution
Aer Lingus content is sold through the GDSs. The airline partly withdrew from GDS distribution in July 2003 and restored fuller access through Sabre and Galileo in November 2004. No Aer Lingus-specific GDS surcharge was found in the sources we checked.
NDC
IAG agreed NDC distribution deals with Amadeus (February 2021) and Travelport (December 2021) covering Aer Lingus, but in October 2024 Aer Lingus said its NDC offer for the trade was still being built, focused on booking and servicing, with a move to NDC 21.3 targeted for the first half of 2025 and a launch only once functionality was complete. Datalex said Aer Lingus fare products became available through its NDC technology in September 2024.
Direct channels
Direct channels are aerlingus.com and the Aer Lingus app. In 2024 Aer Lingus also described an NDC and B2B API route for trade partners such as OTAs and tour operators.
Notes for travel agents
Aer Lingus told the Irish trade in 2024 that it had no immediate plans to change the content available to agents. Its NDC launch timeline for agencies had not been confirmed in the sources we opened.
On ReservationHub
ReservationHub gives agencies GDS content from Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport plus NDC and low-cost channels in one platform. See the full list on our integrations page.
History of Aer Lingus
Aer Lingus was set up by the Irish government in 1936. Its first flight, on 27 May 1936, carried five passengers from Baldonnel Aerodrome near Dublin to Bristol in a de Havilland DH.84 Dragon named Iolar. To mark the airline's 90th anniversary, a restored aircraft of the same type recreated the flight on 27 May 2026.
The airline grew into Ireland's flag carrier on routes to Britain, continental Europe and North America. It joined the oneworld alliance around 2000 but left on 1 April 2007 as it moved towards a lower-cost, point-to-point model. During the same period it cut back GDS distribution in 2003 before restoring Sabre and Galileo access in late 2004.
International Airlines Group acquired Aer Lingus in August 2015, making it a sister airline of British Airways, Iberia and Vueling. Aer Lingus Regional flights are operated under franchise by Emerald Airlines, and Aer Lingus UK runs services from Belfast. Since late 2024 the airline has used Airbus A321XLRs to open new transatlantic routes from Dublin.
Milestones
- 1936First flight, Baldonnel to Bristol, on 27 May.
- 2004Restored distribution through Sabre and Galileo after cutting back GDS sales in 2003.
- 2007Left the oneworld alliance on 1 April.
- 2015Acquired by International Airlines Group (IAG).
- 2021IAG announced NDC distribution agreements with Amadeus and Travelport covering Aer Lingus.
- 2024First Airbus A321XLRs delivered in December.
- 202690th anniversary; A321XLR route to Raleigh-Durham planned, taking North America to 26 destinations.
Fleet
Aircraft types in service as of 2025
Aer Lingus flies an all-Airbus fleet: A320s and A320neos in Europe, A321LRs and A321XLRs on narrow-body transatlantic routes, and A330s on long-haul. IAG says the A321XLR, which Aer Lingus began deploying in 2025, is opening secondary North American destinations. In 2025 IAG ordered 21 Airbus A330-900neos for delivery from 2028 to 2033 that can be allocated to Aer Lingus, Iberia or LEVEL. Regional ATR 72-600s are flown by Emerald Airlines under the Aer Lingus Regional brand.
Network and hubs
Dublin is the Aer Lingus hub, with Cork, Shannon and Belfast also served, and a short-haul network across the UK and Europe. For 2026 the airline planned its largest transatlantic schedule, reaching 26 North American destinations with a new A321XLR route to Raleigh-Durham.
In 2025 Aer Lingus carried 11.3 million passengers and made an operating profit of EUR 282 million, according to IAG. The airline says it links Ireland with more than 100 destinations across Europe, the UK and North America. IAG groups Aer Lingus with British Airways and Iberia in its transatlantic business, where Dublin competes with growing US airline service.
Aer Lingus: frequently asked questions
What are Aer Lingus airline codes?
Aer Lingus uses the IATA code EI and the ICAO code EIN, with the radio callsign SHAMROCK. Its Belfast-based subsidiary, Aer Lingus UK Limited, has its own IATA code, EG. Regional flights operated by Emerald Airlines are sold under the EI code.
Is Aer Lingus in an airline alliance?
No. Aer Lingus joined oneworld around 2000 and left on 1 April 2007. It is part of International Airlines Group with British Airways, Iberia and Vueling and has codeshare partners, but it has no alliance membership of its own, so alliance status benefits do not apply on Aer Lingus flights.
Who owns Aer Lingus?
Aer Lingus has been part of International Airlines Group (IAG) since 2015. IAG holds 49.75% of the voting rights and most of the economic rights in Aer Lingus Group DAC, with the remaining voting rights held by a trust that supports its Irish and EU ownership structure.
Does Aer Lingus offer NDC content to travel agents?
Aer Lingus has NDC agreements with Amadeus, Travelport and Sabre through IAG, but in late 2024 it said its full trade NDC offer was still being developed. Agents should check with their GDS or aggregator for current Aer Lingus NDC availability before relying on it.
What aircraft does Aer Lingus use across the Atlantic?
Aer Lingus flies Airbus A330s and the narrow-body A321LR and A321XLR on transatlantic routes. The A321XLR, delivered from December 2024, lets it serve smaller North American cities such as Raleigh-Durham, which it planned for 2026.
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Book a meetingSources
- IAG — Full year 2025 results (February 2026)
- Aer Lingus — 90 years of flying: oldest aircraft takes to the skies again (May 2026)
- Aer Lingus — 90th birthday
- Aer Lingus — Biggest ever transatlantic schedule for 2026 (September 2025)
- oneworld — Aer Lingus withdrawal date set as 1 April 2007 (September 2006)
- TravelMole — Aer Lingus reinstates GDS sales (November 2004)
- Amadeus — Amadeus to distribute IAG content via NDC standard (February 2021)
- Travelport — NDC distribution agreement with British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus and Vueling (December 2021)
- Travel Extra — Aer Lingus invites travel trade to engage on NDC (October 2024)
- Datalex — Aer Lingus and Datalex welcome enhanced NDC connection (September 2024)
- Travel Extra — Where we are at with Aer Lingus fleet deliveries (June 2025)
- IATA — Airline code search (Aer Lingus)
- FAA — JO 7340.2 Contractions, ICAO aircraft operator designators