Now we are 75: Aer Lingus celebrates 75th anniversary
2011-06-14
Aer Lingus has unveiled a new retro painted aircraft painted in the 1960s 'Irish International' livery, to commemorate its 75th anniversary celebrations. The newest addition to the Aer Lingus fleet is far from a child of the 1960s, however. It is an Airbus A320- EI-DVM, MSN 4634 series, named 'St Coleman'. It was unveiled at a ceremony at the iconic, Old Central Terminal Building Dublin airport - designed by the late prominent Irish architect Desmond FitzGerald.
At the ceremony cabin crew proudly modelled vintage uniforms, from each decade starting with the uniforms worn in 1945 right through to the current Aer Lingus uniforms, specially designed by the internationally acclaimed designer, Louise Kennedy.
Aer Lingus CEO Christoph Mueller said at the hisotric and very special event: "2011 is a very special year for Aer Lingus as it marks the airline's 75th anniversary. Since the early days of 1936, Aer Lingus has grown to become a flag carrier with a worldwide reputation for our friendly staff, our high quality of service, value for money and innovation. Throughout the 75 years we have carried out our mission of connecting Ireland with the world, transporting millions of customers annually. We look forward to continuing to fly the shamrock for the next 75 years."
The first Aer Lingus flight took place on May 27th 1936 when the company launched its first flight between Baldonnel and Bristol. The a six-seater De Havilland 84 Dragon named Iolar, - meaning 'eagle' in Irish, was almost to capacity, as it had five passengers.
As part of the anniversary celebrations, Iolar's sister aircraft has undergone a painstaking restoration project, so that it is, once again, airworthy. It is intended that it will participate in a number of special celebratory events throughout the year.
In the intervening 75 years Aer Lingus has progressed and grown. It 1936 it operated three routes, carried a very re3spectable 892 passengers and employed 12 staff.
In 2010, Aer Lingus carried a total of 9.4 million passengers on over 100 routes. It now employs nearly 4,000 staff members.
Aer Lingus flies to and from Ireland from the UK, serving several airports with parking facilities served by APH including London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Birmingham, Manchester, etc.
