Dublin, Ireland – Great news for Irish travellers! Aer Lingus is significantly enhancing its onboard customer experience by expanding its partnership with leading inflight service provider dnata Catering & Retail. The move introduces a brand new, technology-driven retail programme that proudly showcases a wealth of beloved Irish brands to the airline’s 10.5 million annual customers.
The new agreement is a testament to Aer Lingus’ confidence in dnata, encompassing a five-year inflight retail contract that runs alongside the existing five-year catering services deal. This expanded operation now covers the full management of the retail programme—from sourcing and warehousing to the advanced technology provision—across over 180 Aer Lingus flights daily from Dublin, Shannon, Cork, and Manchester bases.
A Showcase of Irish Excellence
The highlight for irishtopia.net readers is the thoughtfully curated new retail range, which is set to bring Aer Lingus’ signature Irish warmth right into the cabin. The programme features a fantastic mix of local homegrown favourites, giving passengers the chance to shop Irish while they fly.
Customers can now find popular Irish beauty and lifestyle brands such as Sculpted by Aimee, Tan Organic, BPerfect, and The Smooth Company on board. The food offerings also have a strong local flavour, with Deli-Lites providing freshly made Irish sandwiches and wraps.
The launch perfectly coincides with Aer Lingus’ festive menu, which includes seasonal treats like a festive turkey and stuffing sandwich, a Christmas cheese and cracker box, and various holiday-themed gift items. Looking ahead, customer feedback will play a central role, ensuring the onboard range continues to reflect Irish tastes and hospitality.
Data-Driven Innovation in the Clouds
Beyond the products, this partnership is a major step forward for digital retail innovation in the skies.
“This partnership takes our collaboration with Aer Lingus to the next level – uniting our expertise in catering, retail, and technology to create an exceptional onboard experience,” said Robin Padgett, CEO of dnata Catering & Retail. “Together, we’re delivering a modern, data-driven retail programme that celebrates Irish brands, improves efficiency, and enhances passenger choice.”
The experience is designed for convenience. Passengers can now browse the onboard magazine, “Bia,” digitally even before their flight and purchase featured products directly on board using contactless payments. This is all powered by dnata’s integrated retail technology ecosystem, which provides Aer Lingus with real-time data analytics and self-serve reporting.
Adrian Dunne, Chief Operations Officer at Aer Lingus, highlighted the operational benefits: “The addition of inflight retail to the existing partnership we have with dnata will drive significant operational benefits, whilst enhancing our customer experience at the same time. The programme will be delivered via a new crew iOS app, which will allow for a data-driven product range tailored to our customers’ preferences and proudly showcasing a wide selection of Irish brands.”
The programme ensures that Aer Lingus’ commitment to showcasing the best of Ireland now extends to a refreshed and innovative onboard retail experience.
Author: jonathan
Jonathan is the publisher of Irishtopia.net, Anglotopia.net, and Londontopia.net. He's passionate about travel and learning about other cultures. He's been to Ireland several times, and uses his travel expertise for Irishtopia!
