Aer Lingus has reported a €55m loss for the first quarter of 2025, which is down on the €82m loss it reported the same time last year.

The drop was attributed to a combination of increased capacity and lower fuel costs.

The airline's chief executive Lynne Embleton also revealed the company had not seen a dip in passengers travelling from Ireland to the US.

Earlier this year, the CSO reported that the number of US visitors to Ireland in February fell almost 40% on last year, while overall tourist numbers fell 30%.

In tandem with the sharp drop of US tourists coming to Ireland the US International Trade Administration, said the number of Irish residents who travelled to the US during the first three months of the year was down 12% to 105,000 when compared with the same period in 2024.

But in March, according to their figures, it plummeted by close to 27%.

When asked about the trend in a group call with reporters Ms Embleton said "our suspicion is there is something quirky in the stats".

In contrast, she said demand for travel to the US in the first quarter had been "really strong".

"We see fluctuations all the time across all routes" but that "we're seeing resilient demand for air travel," the Irish Times reports.

She also said the first two of six Airbus A321 XLR planes are now in service and operating on its new routes to Nashville and Indianapolis.

"These new aircraft and the remaining four XLRs, which are expected to join the fleet later this year, will support a compelling growth ambition that will benefit the airline, our customers, our employees and the economy," Ms Embleton added.

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