The new generation aircraft will support the airline’s sustainability programme as it aims to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and has committed to powering 10% of its flights using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) by 2030.
The deal was signed with CDB Aviation, a wholly owned Irish subsidiary of China Development Bank Financial Leasing Limited (CDB Leasing), and will see the new A320neo join the carrier’s fleet for the first time.
They will replace two previous generation Airbus A320ceos, which will be retired from the fleet. The new A320neos are expected to enter into service towards the end of July 2022.
The Airbus A320neo delivers up to a 20% reduction in fuel burn and CO2 emissions and close to a 50% reduction in noise footprint when compared to the previous generation A320ceo.
The two new aircraft will join the Aer Lingus fleet for short-haul operations and will predominantly operate between Heathrow and Dublin.
Lynne Embleton, Aer Lingus chief executive, said: "This is a great opportunity to bring new, state-of-the-art aircraft into our short-haul fleet. Renewing our fleet is one of the key ways for Aer Lingus to meet our sustainability targets, which is a priority for us over the coming years.
"The new generation Airbus A320neo aircraft is much more sustainable in terms of fuel burn and CO2 emissions and this is not only important to Aer Lingus but also to our customers."
Aer Lingus will continue to grow its fleet and expects to acquire a further two A320neo aircraft in 2023, as well as plans to boost its fleet with six Airbus A321neo XLR aircraft which are a longer-range variant of the A321neo LR, and will enable further growth of Aer Lingus’ transatlantic network.
