‘A Difference Maker:’ How the Airbus A321LR Helps Make Pittsburgh-Dublin Possible

When Aer Lingus launches its new Pittsburgh-Dublin route on May 25, the aircraft flying the route will lend a big hand in connecting the two cities’ key corporate and cultural ties.

The Irish flag carrier will operate the four-times-a-week service year-round with its 184-seat Airbus A321LR, which the airline has used to expand into North America. It is the region’s first ever scheduled nonstop service to the Emerald Isle.

The A321LR is Airbus’ long-range variant of its popular A321 narrowbody aircraft designed to serve markets that would otherwise not be economically viable with larger twin-aisle widebody planes, such as the Airbus A330 or Boeing 777.

Bijan Vasigh, professor of economics and finance at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, said that Pittsburgh-Dublin is a perfect example of a growing market the A321LR is well suited to serve.

“Pittsburgh has growing technology, healthcare and corporate demand that requires international flights to Europe. A double aisle aircraft may be too big and does not really serve the economics of that market well,” Vasigh said. However, “the introduction of the A321LR provides that opportunity to provide service within the East Coast of the United States to Europe.”

Aer Lingus took delivery of its first A321LR in 2019, and the type has been integral to its strategy of expanding its network from Ireland, which now includes more than 20 destinations in North America. Pittsburgh joins other secondary U.S. markets – including Cleveland, Indianapolis, Nashville and Raleigh-Durham – the carrier has added from Dublin in recent years.

Airlines ‘Now Have the Right Aircraft’

Vasigh says the A321LR and other narrowbody aircraft are a difference maker economically for long-haul routes thanks to their lower operating costs and smaller capacity versus bigger jets while still offering a competitive onboard product and linking markets with nonstop service that would otherwise require a connection.

“Businesses are requiring ‘point-to-point’ services. Narrowbodies can help airlines and passengers bypass very congested hubs at less cost per available seat mile than other aircraft,” he said.

The Airbus A320 family and Boeing 737 were first designed as short-haul aircraft but each have undergone decades worth of upgrades and iterations that have greatly improved their performance and capabilities. The latest models of both types – the A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX – feature newer, more fuel-efficient engines and aerodynamic improvements that enable both types to operate short and medium-haul routes, often up to 4-6 hours in length.

Airbus has further expanded the A321 – the largest member of the A320 family – to the next level by offering the A321LR and A321XLR that can operate long-haul routes across oceans and continents.

Introduced in 2018, the A321LR extends the range of the base A321neo model to approximately 4,000 nautical miles, enough to comfortably operate routes between North America and Europe, through upgrades including additional fuel tanks and optimized performance.

The A321XLR, which entered service in 2024, further increases performance and range through significant structural upgrades to its airframe to carry higher weights, a new permanent rear center tank to increase fuel capacity without sacrificing cargo hold space and redesigned flaps for better takeoff and landing performance. With a range of up to 4,7000 nautical miles, the A321XLR can fly nonstop from Europe to Southeast Asia or deeper into the Americas from Europe.

“That really changes the dynamic,” Vasigh said. “Many airlines previously had those narrowbody aircraft that were limited by range, but then the range has been improved to become 4,000-mile capable. That now gives the airlines the advantage of having the right aircraft.”

Onboard, airlines have fitted narrowbody aircraft equipped for long haul routes with lie-flat business class seats and premium economy seats, similar to widebody aircraft, to offer a consistent product. Aer Lingus offers 16 lie-flat business class seats on its A321LR and A321XLR aircraft, and all come equipped with in-flight entertainment screens in every seat featuring selections of music, films and TV shows, and in-flight Wi-Fi for all passengers aboard.

Connecting More Dots

The enhanced capabilities of the latest A321 and 737 models are expected to be gamechangers for how airlines plan networks and where travelers can fly nonstop.

The A321XLR, “will truly revolutionize long-haul travel, allowing airlines to tap into new exciting city pairings as will be demonstrated by Aer Lingus,” said Benoît de Saint Exupéry, Airbus’ Chief Commercial Officer, in a statement when Aer Lingus received its first A321XLR in December 2024.

The PIT-Dublin route addition is building on long-term ties between Pittsburgh and Ireland. One of the NFL’s premier teams with followers around the globe, the Pittsburgh Steelers were selected to play the first-ever NFL regular-season game in Dublin in September 2025 in part because the Rooney family, which has owned the team since its founding in 1933, has deep connections to Ireland.

The Steelers game in Dublin this September bolstered and highlighted the relationship between the regions, but the roots go much deeper. Several major Pittsburgh-based companies have operations in Ireland, including UPMC, PPG Industries, BNY, MSA Safety, Eaton and others.

Top photo: An Aer Lingus Airbus A321LR arrives at Washington-Dulles International Airport from Dublin on June 17, 2023. (Photo by Ryan McManus)