Delivery delays have forced Aer Lingus to postpone the start date for its new Dublin to Montreal service from summer 2019 to summer 2020 and to reduce frequencies on other transatlantic routes, the airline said to Irish newspaper The Independent.
The flights to Montreal were set for takeoff from August 8. They should have been operated with a new single-aisle Airbus A321LR. Aer Lingus has ordered four such aeroplanes to expand over the Atlantic in addition to its traditional fleet of A330 wide-bodies. Bur Airbus has been unable to supply after long-lasting problems with the engine supplier.
The delays will also result in temporary frequency reductions on four transatlantic routes during July of this year: Dublin-Philadelphia, Dublin-Minneapolis, Dublin-Hartford and Shannon-New York JFK.
“We are still expecting the first two A321LR aircraft to be ready for commercial operation in late summer, with the other two scheduled to arrive later in 2019,” says Aer Lingus.
Passengers booked on the affected routes are being notified and given options for re-routing on alternative services.
