Etihad Airways, confirmed today it had acquired a 2.987 per cent stake in Aer Lingus. The airline said the purchase reflected its desire to forge a commercial partnership with the Irish national carrier. Etihad Airways believes a possible partnership could produce significant commercial benefits for both airlines. Etihad Airways operates 10 flights a week from Abu Dhabi to Dublin and has carried more than 750,000 passengers between the twocapitals since it launched the route in July, 2007.
The airline has a premium lounge at Dublin Airport, an engineering maintenance facility and has conducted recruitment drives across the country. It also recently renewed its sponsorship of the Gaelic Athletic Association, signing a five-year deal.
Etihad Airways has strategic codeshare partnerships with 34 airlines around the world.
Source: Etihad Airways
About Aer Lingus
Founded
| 15 April 1936
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Commenced operations
| 27 May 1936
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Operating bases
| Belfast International, Cork, London Gatwick, Shannon, Washington Dulles |
Headquarters
| Dublin Airport, Fingal, Ireland
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Destinations
| over eighty destinations
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Key Executives
| Christoph Mueller (CEO)Colm Barrington (Chairman) Davina Pratt (Chief pilot)
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Revenue
| €1,288.3 million (financial year to 31 December 2011)
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Operating income
| €84.4 million (financial year to 31 December 2011)
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Net income
| €49.1 million (financial year to 31 December 2011)
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| Official website | www.aerlingus.com
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Aer Lingus Group Plc (ISEQ: EIL1, LSE: AERL) (an anglicisation of the Irish Aer Loingeas meaning "air shipping") is the flag carrier of Ireland. Aer Lingus is a former member of the Oneworld airline alliance, which it left on 31 March 2007. While it is not part of an alliance, the airline has codeshares with Oneworld, Star Alliance and SkyTeam members, as well as interline agreements with Aer Arann, JetBlue Airways and United Airlines. The company employs 4,000 people and in 2010 had revenues of €1.2 billion. Aer Lingus flew 9.3 million passengers in 2010. It has a mixed business model, operating a low fare service on its European and North African routes and full service, two-class flights on transatlantic routes.
Aer Lingus is 29.4% owned by its rival, Ryanair, and 25.4% owned by the Government of Ireland. The airline was floated on the Dublin and London Stock Exchanges on 2 October 2006, following prior government approval (the government previously owned 85% of the airline). The principal group companies include Aer Lingus Limited, Aer Lingus Beachey Limited, Aer Lingus (Ireland) Limited and Dirnan Insurance Company Limited, all of which are wholly owned.
Aer Lingus Fleet Consist of the Following Aircraft
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| C | Y | Total |
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| Airbus A319-100 | 2 | 2 | — | 144 | 144 |
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| Airbus A320-200 | 34 | — | — | 174 | 174 |
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| Airbus A321-200 | 3 | — | — | 212 | 212 |
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| Airbus A330-200 | 3 | — | 24 | 248 | 272 |
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|
|
|
|
| 251 | 275 |
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| Airbus A330-300 | 4 | — | 24 | 298 | 322 |
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| Airbus A350-900 | — | 9 | to be
advised |
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| 4 delivered in 2015, 2 in 2016 and 3 in 2018 |