Aer Lingus insists Airbus delays will not hit expansion plans

Aer Lingus remains confident that its expansion plans for next summer will not be hindered, despite production delays at Airbus that could delay its new fleet of long-haul aircraft. It has ordered a fleet of 8 Airbus A321neo long-range aircraft that are seen as a potential game-changers. But Airbus has been dogged with production delays, particularly with regard to engines. One informed source said the Aer Lingus order could face delays of up to 6 months, meaning the new aircraft would not be available for any planned expansion next summer. Another source said that although the order was officially still on schedule, delays were possible. Aer Lingus chief corporate affairs officer Donal Moriarty said: " We do not expect our first deliveries to be delayed to Q3 of 2019." <br/>