International Airlines Group (IAG) carrier Aer Lingus has taken delivery of its third Airbus A321XLR aircraft, continuing the carrier’s strategic fleet expansion aimed at boosting North American operations.
The aircraft, registered EI-XLV (Airbus A321-253NY-XLR, MSN 12248), was delivered from Airbus’ Hamburg-Finkenwerder facility to Dublin Airport on 17 May 2025, operating under callsign EIN2395. It arrived in Dublin at approximately 11:15 local time.
According to Flightradar24, EI-XLV entered commercial service on 23 May, debuting on the Dublin–Minneapolis (MSP) route as EIN89/8, followed by a transatlantic service to Nashville (BNA) the next day.
The A321XLR, with its extended range, offers improved operational flexibility and resilience, making it suitable for short-, medium-, and long-haul routes, is deployed on selected short-haul sectors, including Dublin to Amsterdam, Edinburgh, and Paris Charles de Gaulle. Notably, the Edinburgh service is operated on behalf of Emerald Airlines, Aer Lingus’s regional partner.
The airline’s use of two class 184 seat A321XLR featuring 16 full-flat Business Class seats and 168 Economy Class seats across both North American and European route network reflects its focus on maximum aircraft utilization key to reducing unit costs, also meeting demand for AerSpace business product, to provide consistent product increasing revenues.
Airbus’ Hamburg Finkenwerder News reports that three more A321XLRs are currently in production for Aer Lingus. These include:
EI-XLU (MSN 12412), test registration D-AZXO
EI-XLW (MSN 12463), test registration D-AVYM
EI-XLX (MSN 12549), currently without a test reg.
Irish Aviation Research Institute © 31 May 2025 All Rights Reserved
