Aer Lingus, the airline company, was founded on 15 April 1936, and it commenced operations on 27 May 1936. The hub of this airline is Dublin Airport. Aer Lingus is the flag carrier of Ireland, established by the Irish Government. The airline company underwent privatization between 2006 and 2015 and is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of the International Airlines Group. The company's headquarters are located in Cloghran, County Dublin.

Aer Lingus was previously a member of the Oneworld airline alliance but left on 31 March 2007. Although there were expectations of its re-entry into Oneworld, the then CEO, Stephen Kavanagh, stated on 15 November 2017 that the airline had no plans to rejoin Oneworld. Aer Lingus has codeshare agreements with Star Alliance and SkyTeam members, as well as interline agreements with Etihad Airways, United Airlines, and JetBlue Airways. The airline operates with a hybrid business model and offers mixed-fare services on its European, transatlantic, and two-class flights.

The Irish government owned over 25% of the airline company's stock, while Ryanair held a 29% stake in Aer Lingus. The state maintained an 85% shareholding until the government's decision to take the company public on the London and Dublin stock exchanges on 2 October 2006. The principal group companies include Aer Lingus Limited, Aer Lingus Beachey, and Dirnan Insurance Company Limited, all of which are wholly-owned subsidiaries.

After months of negotiations regarding an IAG takeover, on 26 May 2015, Aer Lingus agreed to sell its 25% stake in the company. Ryanair, which had proposed acquiring around 30% of Aer Lingus, ultimately sold its stake to IAG on 10 July 2015. The shareholders of Aer Lingus accepted the takeover offer in August 2015.

History

The company initially had a capital of 100,000 euros, with Sean O'Hagha as the chairman. Aer Lingus was associated with Blackpool and the West Coast Air Services, which provided the initial funding for the first aircraft. It also operated as Aer Lingus under Irish Sea Airways. On 22 May 1936, Aer Lingus Teoranta was officially registered as an airline company, with the name proposed by Richard F. O'Connor. The airline's inaugural service connected Baldonnel Airfield and Bristol Airport, UK.

In the latter half of 1936, the airline acquired its second aircraft, 'Eire,' capable of carrying 14 passengers. This aircraft expanded the Bristol service to Croydon, establishing the first air link between Dublin and London. It was also designated as the national carrier under the Air Navigation and Transport Act of 1936. The Irish Government established AerRianta in 1937, a company responsible for the financial support of the new airline.

A new airport opened in the Dublin suburb of Collinstown in January 1940. The airline also acquired a new DC-3 aircraft and introduced new services to Liverpool, as well as an internal service to Shannon. The airline's services were interrupted during World War II.

Post-war Expansion

Regular services resumed with an inaugural flight to London on 9 November 1945. The initial aircraft, Douglas DC-3s, were painted in a silver and green livery. A new Anglo-Irish agreement granted Aer Lingus exclusive UK traffic rights from Ireland in 1946. This agreement was made in exchange for a 40% holding by the British Overseas Airways Corporation and the British European Airways. Due to the airline's rapid growth, seven new Vickers Viking aircraft were purchased in 1947, although they were eventually sold.

Aer Lingus introduced routes to Brussels via Manchester to Rome in the late 1940s and early 1950s. They continued to expand their route structure, becoming one of the early purchasers of Vickers Viscount 700s in 1951, which were placed in service in April 1954. In 1952, Aer Lingus expanded its all-freight services and acquired a small fleet of Bristol 170 Freighters, which remained in service until 1957.