kaitak wrote:Just a question confusing me about the new EI brand. There is mention of it being introduced in January, but the first A321LR is not coming until (I think the second quarter), so presumably an A321LR won't be the first aircraft to get it?
(Hopefully it'll be 'EDY, which badly needs a repaint!).
Wonder if EI has made any progress on a replacement S/H fleet, in which case some of the earlier aircraft (CVx) won't be repainted?
The CEO made it sound like it would be launched on the A321LR but I'd say an A330 is likely to be first if it's being revealed in January. I think 'EAV or 'EDY would be a good guess, those are the two remaining A330s due a repaint as all the other have been painted at some point over the past three years starting the -200s and eventually the -300s ('DUZ, 'ELA) last year. The rest of the fleet obviously being new/leased and painted prior to delivery.
Aer Lingus hasn't announced plans to actively look for a short haul replacement. It continues to be an "as and when" situation with aircraft being replaced when leases are up, usually by slightly younger second hand frames, key example would be the ex-Vueling and ex-Aeroflot frames joining last year.
I believe around half the A320 fleet is owned including the early 'CVx registered aircraft so Aer Lingus might want a few more years out of them. The bulk of the owned aircraft aren't exactly old, the youngest four frames being just over 7 years old so there's very little need to replace those if ownership costs are low. The leased frames include the early 'DEx deliveries of which the majority had their original 10 year leases extended in 2014, I doubt they were extended for another 10 years but 5 or 7 seems likely which means either next year or 2021 is when those leases run out again.