Aer Lingus records €347m loss for 2021

The airline group expects a return to profit this year

IAG, which said it was now avoiding Russia's airspace following the invasion of Ukraine, forecast a "significant" operating loss for the first quarter of 2022.

Aer Lingus owner IAG expects to return to profit from the second quarter of this year as it restores flights closer to pre-pandemic levels, after reporting a multibillion-euro loss for the second straight year.

The group, which also owns British Airways, Iberia and Vueling, said it expected passenger capacity to reach 85% of pre-pandemic levels this year, following a collapse to just 36% of 2019 levels last year.