Aer Lingus has exercised its option for two Airbus A330-300s, which will increase its A330 fleet to 12 aircraft when delivered.

The Irish carrier, which celebrated its 80th anniversary in May 2016, has eight A330s at present, which will rise to 10 this year. The A330 has a range of up to 5,650 nautical miles and over 1,100 are flying with 110 operators worldwide.

Airbus chief operating officer – customers, John Leahy says: “This further commitment by Aer Lingus to the A330 demonstrates the unmatched operating economics and operational versatility of this aircraft. We are delighted to be continuing our long-standing partnership with Aer Lingus.”