Aer Lingus, the flag carrier airline of Ireland and the second-largest airline in the country after Ryanair, took the delivery of its first Airbus A321neo Long Range aircraft from the Air Lease Corporation (ALC).

The A321neo LR is powered by LEAP CFM engines and configured in a two class layout with 16 business and 168 economy seats.

According to the statement, this delivery is the first out of eight A321neo LR aircraft on the ALC order book. The rest of the planes are expected to join the airline’s fleet through the year 2020.

The new Airbus aircraft will replace currently operating Boeing 757 on transatlantic routes between Ireland and the East Coast of North America. 

Apart from ATR and Boeing 757 aircraft, Aer Lingus fleet consists of 50 Airbus aircraft including 13 A330s and 37 A320 Family aircraft. With the new addition, in turn, the airline will be able to extend its route network and operate on flights requiring longer range.