Operating profit at Aer Lingus soars by 22% to €170m

Airline's cumulative operating profit to the end of the latest quarter was €250m, parent company IAG said

Fri, 07 Nov, 2025 - 07:27

Emer Walsh

Aer Lingus recorded an operating profit of €170m between July and September as the airline benefitted from solid revenue and favourable fuel priving, the airline's parent company said on Friday.

International Airlines Group (IAG), which owns Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia and Vueling, said the Irish airline's performance reflected a €31m improvement on the same period in 2024.

The company said its latest quarterly performance was equivalent to its outcome for third quarter of the previous year when adjusted for the impact of industrial action in 2024.

In July last year, Aer Lingus pilots halted industrial action, which saw more than 500 flights cancelled after their union leaders backed a 17.75% pay rise offer.

Aer Lingus' cumulative operating profit to the end of the quarter was €250m, also representing a significant improvement on 2024, IAG said.

The three-month period saw approximately 6% growth in Aer Lingus’s overall capacity compared to the same period in 2024, as the airline operated its largest ever North American network.

This overall increase in capacity included a 7% increase on North American routes, with Europe up by 4%, IAG said. Compared to 2024, competitor capacity in the summer months of 2025 increased by 13% on North American routes and by 7% in Europe.

Winter 2025/2026 is seeing further increases in competitor capacity as compared to winter last year, the parent company added, with a 44% increase on North American routes and an 18% increase in Europe.

Wifi will also be available across the Aer Lingus fleet next year after the airline's owner IAG announced an agreement with Elon Musk's Starlink.

In the summer months, Aer Lingus’s new routes to Nashville and Indianapolis utilised the extended flying range of the Airbus A321XLR aircraft. the airline also took delivery of its fourth and fifth A321 XLR aircraft and announced a new route to Raleigh-Durham in North Carolina starting in April 2026.

Aer Lingus also announced increased frequency for Summer 2026 on its services from Dublin to New York, Boston, Nashville, Indianapolis and Orlando and from Shannon to Boston. The sixth A321 XLR is expected to be delivered in the coming months.

Wifi will also be available across the Aer Lingus fleet next year after the airline's owner IAG announced an agreement with Elon Musk's Starlink.

IAG said the deal will bring Starlink-enabled high-speed wi-fi connectivity on Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia, Level, and Vueling aircraft, with the first aircraft due to go live with the service in early 2026.

“Our operating profit of €170m represents a solid financial performance, delivered in the context of significant increases in competitor capacity in summer 2025 on both our North American and European networks," said Aer Lingus CEO Lynne Embleton.

"With increases in competitor capacity at our Dublin hub accelerating this winter and into next year, we remain focused on continually improving our cost efficiency and productivity as we invest in growth and enhanced customer experience."

Across parent company IAG, total revenue for the quarter was flat versus last year, driven by flat passenger revenue, a reduction in cargo revenue and an increase in other revenue, the airline operator said.

Overall, IAG welcomed a "good performance", which was on top of a record third quarter in 2024.

"As expected the North Atlantic market saw some softness in US point-of-sale economy leisure and unit prices across our airlines were lower in the European market due to a combination of high growth by British Airways and more competitive markets elsewhere," the company said.

So far this year, IAG has grown its operating profit by 18% and adjusted earnings per share by 27%. In 2024, IAG recorded an annual operating profit of €4.4bn.