A preliminary report released late on 22 December 2025 confirms that Aer Lingus flight EI155 from London Heathrow registered a 3.3-G hard landing at Dublin Airport on 13 December, forcing the aircraft (registration EI-XLT) out of service pending landing-gear replacement. The A321-200NX has remained on the ground since the incident, shrinking Aer Lingus’s narrow-body fleet at the very moment Christmas traffic reaches its apex.
Engineering teams estimate the aircraft will be unavailable for at least ten days while parts are sourced from Airbus. In the interim, Aer Lingus has wet-leased a SmartLynx A320 to cover Heathrow rotations, but slots restrictions mean some flights are operating at less-than-optimal times. Corporate travellers and assignees commuting between HQ operations in Dublin and London should therefore expect schedule adjustments or downgrades to smaller A320 equipment.
![Hard-Landing Investigation Grounds Aer Lingus A321neo, Adds Capacity Strain at Dublin]()
The Irish Aviation Authority has signalled no systemic safety concerns but will review crosswind landing procedures; gusts of 25 kn (47 km/h) were recorded at the time of touchdown. If final findings require new pilot training, airlines could see simulator costs rise in 2026.
Mobility impact: Travel managers should update approval workflows in booking tools to flag equipment changes on EI/BA codeshares and remind travellers of potential cabin-bag size differences between A321neo and substitute aircraft.
Engineering teams estimate the aircraft will be unavailable for at least ten days while parts are sourced from Airbus. In the interim, Aer Lingus has wet-leased a SmartLynx A320 to cover Heathrow rotations, but slots restrictions mean some flights are operating at less-than-optimal times. Corporate travellers and assignees commuting between HQ operations in Dublin and London should therefore expect schedule adjustments or downgrades to smaller A320 equipment.
The Irish Aviation Authority has signalled no systemic safety concerns but will review crosswind landing procedures; gusts of 25 kn (47 km/h) were recorded at the time of touchdown. If final findings require new pilot training, airlines could see simulator costs rise in 2026.
Mobility impact: Travel managers should update approval workflows in booking tools to flag equipment changes on EI/BA codeshares and remind travellers of potential cabin-bag size differences between A321neo and substitute aircraft.
Source: The Aviation Herald
