Aer Lingus (Dublin) will add the Dublin – Liverpool route on October 23. The route will be operated 16 time a week with Airbus A320 aircraft according to Airline Route.
Copyright Photo: AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A320-214 EI-DEL (msn 2409) taxies at London’s Heathrow Airport.
Aer Lingus aircraft slide show:ย 
British Airways (London) and Iberia (Madrid) parent company International Airlines Group (IAG) (London) has confirmed that it has reached agreement with Aer Lingus (Dublin) to make a โฌ1.4 billion ($1.5 billion) (ยฃ1 billion) cash offer for Ireland’s national carrier.
The deal, which comes after months of negotiations, values Aer Lingus at โฌ2.55 a share ($2.80 a share).
The board of the Irish carrier is recommending the offer, which was made after confirmation from the Irish government that it is willing to sell its 25 percent stake in Aer Lingus.
The decision of the sale was made at a meeting of the Irish cabinet late on Tuesday, which itself followed indications earlier in the day from Brussels that European competition authorities would not stand in IAGโs path.
Yesterday (May 28) IAG updated the Aer Lingus offer with this formal statement: CLICK HERE
Read more from The Irish Times: CLICK HERE
Assistant Editor Oliver Wilcock reporting from Manchester.
Copyright Photo: AirlinersGallery.com.ย Aer Lingus Airbus A320-214 EI-DEO (msn 2486) in the special Green Spirit – Official Airline of the Irish Rugby Team livery taxies at the home of IAG and British Airways – London (Heathrow).
Aer Lingus aircraft slide show:ย
Aer Lingus (Dublin) as reported, yesterday (May 10) unveiled its new “Green Spirit” special livery in support of the Irish Rugby Team. The carrier is the official airline of the national team. The new livery has been painted on the pictured Airbus A320-214 EI-DEO (msn 2486) which was formerly painted in full Virgin Atlantic colors for the Little Red operation.
Copyright Photo Below: Greenwing/AirlinersGallery.com. EI-DEO as of today, May 11, is now flying on revenue flights. It is pictured in bright sunlight departing this morning from Dublin.
Aer Lingus aircraft slide show:ย
Aer Lingus (Dublin) today (May 10) unveiled its new “Green Spirit” Airbus A320 logo jet at a media event in Dublin. Formerly operated for Virgin Atlantic Airways (London) on the Little Red service, the pictured Airbus A320-214 EI-DEO (msn 2486) now sports this special scheme.
Aer Lingus has entered into a partnership with the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) as the official airline of the Irish Rugby Team.
Aer Lingus will paint a second Airbus A320 in September to show their support for the IRFU.
EI-DEO will go into service tomorrow, Monday May 11, 2015, and will operate across Aer Lingusโ short haul network to the UK and Continental Europe.
The three-year deal will see Aer Lingus support the IRFU by flying players, management and support staff around Europe as they compete in the RBS Six Nations Championships and in other high-profile international tournaments.
Commenting on the partnership, Aer Lingus Chief Executive Officer Stephen Kavanagh said: โThe livery in IRFU and player branding is a first for Aer Lingus and recognizes the contribution sport makes to all our lives”.
The partnership deal with the IRFU is part of a strategy by Aer Lingus to promote the brand and its commitment in supporting the best of the Irish.
Report and copyright photos by Assistant Editor Michael Kelly from Dublin.
Aer Lingus aircraft slide show:ย
A new video from Aer Lingus:ย On May 1, 2015, the inaugural Dublin to Washington service began. Join us as we capture the unique experience from the flight deck.
April Fools’ Day (sometimes called April Fool’s Day or All Fools’ Day) according to Wikipedia “is celebrated every year on the first day of April as a day when people play practical jokes and hoaxes on each other. The jokes and their victims are known as “April fools”. Hoax stories may be reported by the press and other media on this day and explained on subsequent days. Popular since the 19th century, the day is not a national holiday in any country, but it is well known in India, Canada, Europe, Australia, Brazil and the United States.
The earliest recorded association between April 1 and foolishness can be found in Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales (1392).”
Some airlines have made this date as a way to connect with the public. We thought we would some of the best ones we have seen today.
Aer Lingus took the opportunity to joke about its shamrock logo on The Aer Lingus Blog:
Say hello to our new logo. That’s right – it’s an emoji.
โ
For almost 80 years, Aer Lingus aircraft have proudly displayed the symbol of the shamrock as part of our unique livery. Our crews have worn it with pride on their uniforms. The Aer Lingus logo has come to be symbolic of Ireland, and of Irishness. In fact, our customers in far-away places often comment that as soon as they see the green shamrock, high on the tail-fin of our aircraft, they feel like they’re already home.
Throughout these 79 years, our logo has evolved, with each transition to a new design marking a milestone in the life of the airline.
โToday, we’re proud to present the latest update to our time-honoured logo. โFor the first time in our history, our shamrock, or “clover” as we’d like it to be known from now on, will boast not three, but four leaves.
Some of you may recognise this iconic and elegant design from your smartphone – and you’d be right. We’ve taken the bold step of using an emoji as our brand new company logo.
โIntroducing the Aer Lingus four-leaf clover emoji logo.
Why, you ask? We believe in keeping abreast of the latest developments in mobile technology. We recognise the unstoppable trend in the use of emojis as a sophisticated new form of communication, and we’re proud to demonstrate leadership in this space. Indeed, we may be the first ever publicly-listed company to use an emoji as their logo.
We know that by having our logo pre-loaded in smartphones around the world, we can make our brand more recognisable and accessible than ever before. Starting April 1st, we begin the significant task of updating our livery to include the four-leaf clover.
Join us in welcoming in the era of the Aer Lingus four-leaf clover emoji logo.
Meanwhile Virgin Atlantic Airways’ CEO Richard Branson announced he was moving Virgin’s headquarters to Branson, Missouri with this story:
Above Photo: thelibrary.org
My great-great-uncle, Reuben S Branson, founded Branson and was the original all-American entrepreneur. As I have followed his lead as an adventure and an entrepreneur, I now want to follow his footsteps into his hometown. Iโm proud to announce the Virgin Groupโs US operations, and a section of our UK operations, are moving to Branson, Missouri.
Image Above: Virgin.com.
Route Map Above: Virgin America.
Virgin America are leading the way, announcing a new flight service to Branson from San Francisco. Virgin Hotels are well on their way to developing their next property in Branson, following in the footsteps of Virgin Hotels Chicago. Meanwhile, Virgin Limited Edition has announced their next luxury property will be based in Branson, offering guests exclusive wagon trails.
Image Above: Virgin.com.
Virgin Produced, our film and production company, will be filming their next feature in Branson. Virgin Mobile USA will be stocked at Bransonโs Walmart store, where several hundred t-shirts were handed out to staff and customers. Virgin Active are introducing a new Branson-themed workout that will have gym-goers tossing hay bales and rolling wagon wheels across the gym.
Image Above: Virgin.com.
Virgin Pure will ensure that the entire water supply throughout Branson is triple-filtered and purified to make it healthy for all โ so I will always be able to enjoy the perfect tasting cup of tea whenever I’m in town. Virgin Holidays will be also offering package holidays to the city with a variety of attractions and excursions available through their concierge service.
Image Above: Virgin.com.
Before embarking upon this project, I spoke to Branson Mayor Raeanne Presley, who is wholeheartedly behind the move. I also searched around for other entrepreneurs who have successfully launched businesses in Branson. To my delight, I found that Dolly Parton, the undisputed queen of country, runs the wildly popular Dixie Stampede in Branson. Virgin America are honouring Dolly by naming our newest plane Jolene, hosting Dolly Partonโs Dixie Stampede-themed flights and featuring a Dolly channel on our Red in-flight entertainment system (only available from 9am-5pm).
Image Above: Virgin.com.
Kevin Plank, CEO and Founder of Under Armour, runs one of the most successful stores right in Branson. They are showing their support by painting their Under Armour Branson store red, as well and throwing the biggest party ever to welcome Branson to Branson.
Image Above: Virgin.com.
With more of our Virgin brands expanding Stateside, it made sense to open our US headquarters in the hometown that bears my family name. I canโt wait to paint the town red.
Thank you Richard.
WestJet announced its new “SmartSeats” with this announcement:
WestJet today announced SmartSeats, a new concept in boarding its aircraft that could change the way people fly.
The SmartSeats concept is simple; the seats in the lounge are the seats on the aircraft. Guests ride the SmartSeats directly between the boarding lounge and the plane. The SmartSeats project team created a brief video now available on WestJet’s YouTube channel and Facebook page to assist in explaining the concept.
“WestJet has long been considered an innovator in improving the guest experience,” said Richard Bartrem, WestJet Vice-President, Communications and Community Relations. “Prior to arriving at the boarding lounge, our guests have already lined up to check in, to get through security, to grab a cup of coffee and to buy a book or a magazine for the flight. We understand the small inconveniences associated with flying and we are always trying to make improvements. SmartSeats are the next step in a constant evolution toward a seamless boarding process.”
SmartSeats could allow guests to board seven times faster than traditional boarding without any of the hassle involved with lining up and actually walking down the bridge to board the aircraft. Now guests can sit down in the lounge, get out a book or a laptop, and let WestJet do the rest.
Video Below: WestJet.ย After years of research and testing, we are excited to announce SmartSeats, a new concept in boarding flights. SmartSeats are guaranteed to change the way people fly. How? Your SmartSeats in the boarding lounge will also be your seats on the plane. Just sit back, relax and let SmartSeats do the work.
Finally Spirit Airlines announced new boarding procedures in its April 1 message:
Spirit Airlines has announced a new, more effective boarding process that may affect certain passengers on future flights. The implementation of Spirit Superiority Boarding will take place immediately at all U.S. based airport locations.
“We understand the boarding process for most airlines can be lengthy, confusing, and frankly insulting,” said Spirit’s Director of Boarding Procedures Sidd Finch. “It’s important to clearly define who should board and when they should be given access to the aircraft. These new boarding procedures will clear things up.”
With new Spirit Superiority Boarding, customers board in priority order, based on the following criteria:**
Gluten-free customers
Members of the Illuminati
Those with O-negative blood type
Laurie’s
Steve’s
Squirrels
Secessionists
Men with Low T
Canadian royalty
People who eat kale
Business-in-the-front-party-in-the-back Class
Everyone else
** Spirit is confident this new procedure, beginning on April 1, 2015, will lead to fewer complaints and more fun on their flights, and that most people will figure out this is a joke before they get to this point in the news release.
Spirit will continue with its normal boarding procedures, which provides one of the quickest and easiest ways to get on the plane and treats everyone fairly.
Aer Lingus (Dublin), adding to our previous story, reported a net loss of โฌ95.8 million ($107.8 million) for 2014, reversing the โฌ34.1 million ($38.3 million) net profit for 2013.
Christoph Mueller Aer Lingusโ CEO commented: โThe year 2014 proved the strength of our โvalue carrierโ business model across both our short and long haul businesses. We profitably expanded our long haul network utilizing our cost advantage and favorable geographic position and helped establish Dublin as the 7th largest European hub for trans-Atlantic connections. Our short haul business continued to demonstrate its resilience despite a highly competitive market. Commercial initiatives, in addition to cost control, led to the highest operating profit since the financial crisis and 17.8% above last year.
The focus on our business is unabated and in the coming months we will invest in our customer proposition and distribution model in addition to reducing costs. Now that the complex IASS pension funding issues have been addressed, we are re-launching our CORE program, starting with the introduction of a new voluntary severance scheme at the beginning of this year.
I am delighted to hand the reins to Stephen Kavanagh at the end of this week. I know that the entire Aer Lingus team has a lot of work planned for 2015 and I am confident that they will drive further improvements in profitability, customer satisfaction and employee engagement.โ
International Consolidated Airlines Group, S.A. (IAGโ offer update:
1. Board willing to recommend the financial terms of IAGโs offer to shareholders
2. Compelling strategic rationale and significant benefits for Aer Lingus, its current and future employees, its customers and for Ireland. The combination would:
A. Enhance Irelandโs position as a natural hub for Europe on the North Atlantic; Accelerate Aer Lingusโ transatlantic, long haul growth plans;
B. Grow employment;
C. Enhance short haul growth;
D. Strengthen Irelandโs connectivity; and Provide access to a global cargo network
3. Aer Lingus has confirmed IAGโs intentions to preserve Aer Lingus as a separate operating business within the group with its own brand, management, head office and operations
Colm Barrington, Aer Lingus Chairman, said: โOur performance in 2014 was strong, with significant growth in long haul and resilient short haul operations. To enhance these excellent results and to accelerate Aer Lingusโ growth, it is the Boardโs strong belief that the company should now take the opportunity to combine with IAG. In this combination Aer Lingus will operate as a separate business while gaining access to IAGโs extensive network and benefiting from its scale. These significantly positive benefits will de-risk Aer Lingusโ future, strengthen its operations and enhance the future success of the company .โ
The Irish government as we previously report, still has reservations about the sale of the flag carrier to IAG and has requested additional clarification.
Read the full report: CLICK HERE
Copyright Photo: SPA/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A319-111 EI-EPT (msn 3054) arrives in London (Heathrow).
Aer Lingus Aircraft slide show:ย
International Airlines Groupโs (IAG) (British Airways, Iberia and Vueling Airlines) (London) continued seduction of Irish flag carrier Aer Lingus (Dublin) seems to be finally working, as the airline is revealing the positives of a takeover by the owner of British and Spanish flag carriers British Airways (London-Heathrow) and Iberia (Madrid).
In a statement to The Guardian, Christoph Mueller, the clover-tailed carrierโs outgoing CEO says that Irelandโs entire economy will benefit if the International Airlines Group takes over Aer Lingus.
Mueller, who steps down as CEO of the airline this week, said IAGโs ยฃ1.02 billion (โฌ1.4 billion) ($1.57 billion) offer to buy Aer Lingus would be the biggest single foreign investment in the Republic since the financial crash.
He continued that there was โa great deal of excitementโ that Aer Lingus would be able to create jobs on a much larger scale if IAG took charge of the former state-run airline.
Mueller also stressed that talks between IAG and the Aer Lingus trade unions had been โvery constructiveโ.
Aer Lingus announced on Tuesday that its profits had risen by almost 18% to โฌ72 million ($81.6 million) from the previous year. Total revenue was up by 9.2%. For the first time in the airlineโs history the number of passengers has exceeded 11 million.
On the hike in profits and the IAG take-over proposal, Mueller added: We profitably expanded our long-haul network utilizing our cost advantage and favorable geographic position and helped establish Dublin as the 7th largest European hub for transatlantic connections.
โOur short-haul business continued to demonstrate its resilience despite a highly competitive market. Commercial initiatives, in addition to cost control, led to the highest operating profit since the financial crisis and 17.8% above last year.โ
Read more from The Guardian: CLICK HERE
Assistant Editor Oliver Wilcock reporting from Manchester.
Update: The Irish government late on February 24 stated it cannot accept the current offer from IAG for Aer Lingus. The government according to the BBC has raised concerns and wants more information before selling its share. Red the full report: CLICK HERE
Copyright Photo: SM Fitzwilliams Collection/AirlinersGallery.com. A takeover by IAG would lead to an updated fleet. Aircraft like this wet leased Air Contractors Boeing 757-2Q8 EI-LBR (msn 28167) would be phased out.
Aer Lingus aircraft slide show:ย
Aer Lingus (Dublin) is now expected to recommend a takeover by the International Airlines Group-IAG (London) (British Airways, Iberia and Vueling Airlines) according to a report today by The Irish Times. This change of heart comes after the IAG raised its bid for the flag carrier to aย โฌ2.50 ($2.80) a share cash bid. The offer could face opposition from the Irish government. If accepted and approved, Aer Lingus would join the Oneworld alliance.
Read the full report: CLICK HERE
Copyright Photo: SPA/AirlinersGallery.com. Aer Lingus controls valuable slots at London’s Heathrow Airport. Airbus A320-214 EI-DEF (msn 2256) completes its final approach to Heathrow.
Aer Lingus aircraft slide show:
http://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/Airlines-Europe-1/Airlines-Europe-1/Aer-Lingus
The everlasting rivalry between Irelandโs two major carriers, Aer Lingus (Dublin) and Ryanair (Dublin), erupted into action again this week with the two airlines exchanging blows over Twitter. Well, we say โblowsโ, more like witty banter.
It all kicked off when flag carrier Aer Lingus pointed out that a photo of one of itโs own aircraft had been used in an advertisement of the low-cost carrier, Ryanair (above).
In response to this, a follower of the airline asked the question on everyoneโs mind: do the two airlines actually hate each other?
Aer Lingus responded by tweeting โJust some healthy rivalry. Isn’t that right, โช@Ryanairโ
However, Ryanair saw this as a challenge and swiftly responded (above) with a harsh uppercut to their rivals. Tweeting โWe stopped being rivals in the 90s โช@AerLingus. We’d have to treble our fares & lose 81m customers to be your rival โช#EuropesNo1โ
(Ouch!)
Aer Lingus ended the exchange with a simple โโช@Ryanairโช Okay, nevermind. #PeaceOutโ
The two airlines occasionally exchange banter over the social network but this is one fray that couldnโt go unnoticed.
Whatโs next in this epic battle? Facebook statuses? Or all out text war? Watch this space.
Report by Assistant Editor Oliver Wilcock from Manchester.
Copyright Photo Below: SPA/AirlinersGallery.com. Now known by us as the “Aer Lingus-Ryanair “Photobomb” Airbus A320″, the real Aer Lingus A320-214 EI-DVM (msn 4634) in the 1963 retro jet scheme arrives at “Ryanair safe” Heathrow Airport.
Aer Lingus aircraft slide show:
http://airlinersgallery.smugmug.com/Airlines-Europe-1/Airlines-Europe-1/Aer-Lingus
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