Throwback Thursday: Historic Airline Schedule Snapshot - Aer Lingus

Over the past couple of years Aer Lingus has expanded its transatlantic offering from the Republic of Ireland with the resumption of flights between Dublin and San Francisco and the launch of a new Dublin - Toronto link last year and the resumption this year of flights between Dublin and Washington. In fact transatlantic capacity this year will likely exceed the airline's high of 2008 when it also offered flights between Dublin and Los Angeles.

This summer Aer Lingus will fly between Dublin and Boston, Chicago, New York, Orlando, San Francisco, Toronto and Washington and between Shannon and Boston and New York. Available one-way capacity (based on current published schedules) will be up for a fourth consecutive year in 2015 with seats from Ireland to North America growing 11.8 per cent versus 2014. This follows year-on-year capacity growth of 18.8 per cent in 2014, 11.5 per cent in 2013 and 1.3 per cent in 2012.

But, what did the Aer Lingus transatlantic network look like over thirty years ago? According to data from OAG, Aer Lingus operated just two scheduled passenger routes in this market during the summer 1982 schedule, utilising a Boeing 747-100 on flights linking Dublin with both Boston and New York, via Shannon. The Boston market was served on a three times weekly basis, while New York saw up to two daily rotations.

Here's the operational schedule from 01JUL82 to 31AUG82...

Dublin – Shannon – Boston
EI117 DUB1530 – 1615SNN1715 – 1840BOS 747 146
EI116 BOS2255 – 0930+1SNN1015+1 – 1100+1DUB 747 146

Dublin – Shannon – New York JFK
EI105 DUB1200 – 1245SNN1345 – 1545JFK 747 D
EI107 DUB1400 – 1445SNN1545 – 1745JFK 747 x17
EI109 DUB1530 – 1615SNN1715 – 1915JFK 747 7
EI104 JFK1945 – 0700+1SNN0745+1 – 0830+1DUB 747 D
EI106 JFK2100 – 0815+1SNN0900+1 – 0945+1DUB 747 x17
EI108 JFK2315 – 1030+1SNN1115+1 – 1200+1DUB 747 7

Jim Liu

Jim is responsible for the content on our sister blog, Airlineroute, which offers an indispensable guide to flight schedule updates. Launched in 2007…