In April 1936, Aer Lingus Teoranta is registered as a private airline company by the Irish Government. 27 May, a six-seat De Havilland 84 Dragon biplane, EI-ABI, is named 'Iolar' and makes the very first Aer Lingus scheduled flight from Dublin's Baldonnel airfield to Bristol. In September, Aer Lingus takes delivery of a fourteen-seat, four-engine De Havilland 84B Dragon Express. In 1938 the original DH84 is replaced by a larger DH89, and a second DH86B joins the fleet. In1939 Two new all-metal, twin-engine Lockheed 14s further supplement the growing Aer Lingus fleet In January 1940, Aer Lingus moves operations from Baldonnel to the newly constructed Dublin Airport, at Collinstown. The first of two brand new Douglas DC-3s arrives in Dublin to replace the smaller Lockheed 14s. Paris and Shannon join the growing Aer Lingus network in 1946, with DC-3s and DH 86Bs now flying the increasing scheduled services. A shortage of DC-3s and spares prompts an order for a fleet of seven Vickers Vikings as part of a fleet-modernisation plan. But the Vikings prove uneconomical and last less than two years with the airline. A new transatlantic service, to New York, is planned through an associate company Aerlinte Eireann, which orders five new Lockheed Constellations. In 1957 Dublin to Manchester and Dusseldorf, Dublin to Manchester and Frankfurt, and Dublin to Zurich and Rome services are inaugurated. Delivery of the larger Series 800 Viscounts to augment the original 707s starts. Aerlinte Eireann is reformed in 1958. A US airline, Seaboard and Western, provides Super Constellations for the service to New York. On 18 April, the first service leaves Dublin and Shannon for New York. Three flights a week are planned with daily flights during the summer months. The DC-3 replacement, the Fokker F27, enters service. With the arrival of the Fokker, the airline replaces the Irish flag on the fin with the now-famous shamrock. Dublin to Manchester and Copenhagen services inaugurated. Three Boeing 720 aircraft start the first jet services to New York and Boston, slashing the flying time to just five and a half hours. A Dublin to Cherbourg service is inaugurated. In1960 Aer Lingus unveils its new 'two greens and blue' livery in 1974. A new white shamrock appears on the fin. The 'Irish international' title disappears, being replaced with a plain bold 'Aer Lingus'. Aer Lingus undertakes a very special charter in September. Pope John Paul II and his entourage travel from Rome to Dublin for his first and only Irish tour in 1979. They then travel onwards from Shannon to Boston. This is the only time the Pope has flown out of Italy with any airline other than Italy's national carrier. Aer Lingus takes delivery of a third Boeing 747. Aer Lingus has now operated an all-jet fleet for over ten years. A new wholly-owned subsidiary, Aer Lingus Commuter, is formed specifically to replace the jets on the routes with less traffic and its first aircraft, a Shorts 330, enters service on routes to Liverpool and Leeds/Bradford in 1983. In 1984 The initial Commuter trial is successful and the Shorts 330 is replaced by a fleet of five larger Shorts 360s. The Commuter network expands to include Bristol, Edinburgh, Birmingham, East Midlands and Newcastle. In Ireland, new regional airports including Sligo, Galway and Kerry are also served by Aer Lingus Commuter. Irish Helicopters becomes a subsidiary. In 1987 Replacement of the first generation of 737 jets starts with the delivery of two 737-300s. They are the first aircraft in the fleet to be able to land in zero visibility at airports with 'CAT3' equipment. 1989 The first of a fleet of five Boeing 737-400s - the largest 737 to date with a capacity for one hundred and fifty-six passengers - enters service. Aer Lingus Commuter takes delivery of the first of six Fokker 50s. This aircraft is a development of the original Fokker F27 which flew with the airline thirty years ago. The 1980s have seen a massive transformation of the airline industry worldwide, with deregularisation bringing new levels of competition to the industry. This in turn leads Aer Lingus to refocus on its core activities and radically review its operating policies. The BAC 1-11s are finally retired and replaced with the first of five new Boeing 737-500s. In 1991-1992 Aer Lingus Commuter takes delivery of four Saab 340B aircraft which replace the Shorts 360 fleet.  Also New Boeing 737-400 and 500 series aircraft replace the last of Aer Lingus' fourteen 737-200s. 1994 - 1995  and Aer Lingus takes delivery of three large, new-generation twin-engine Airbus A330s which are based in Shannon. Direct transatlantic flights to the US now operate from both Dublin and Shannon. After nearly twenty-five years in service, the 747s are retired and sold. They have carried more than eight million people across the Atlantic in Aer Lingus colours. Increases in regional traffic render the Saab 340s too small and they are sold. Three British Aerospace BAe146-300 jets enter Commuter service in June. 1996 The airline introduces its new livery - more an adaption of the last one, rather than a total overhaul. It still features a green top, but also returns to a more traditional style slanted shamrock. The Belfast to Shannon and New York service recommences, reflecting a mood of increased confidence and optimism.

Fleet Information

Fleet

Airbus A330-300
Airbus A330-200
Airbus A321-211
Airbus A320-214
Boeing 737-400
Boeing 737-500
BAe 146-300