Historic Aer Lingus 'Iolar' Biplane Pays Rare Visit To Cork Airport For Double Anniversary

A piece of Irish aviation history touched down in Cork yesterday, as the Aer Lingus de Havilland DH.84 Dragon "Iolar" paid a special visit to mark the airline's 90th anniversary and Cork Airport's 65th year in operation.

The vintage biplane, one of only three known DH.84 Dragons still flying anywhere in the world, arrived as flight EI1936, landing shortly after 11am yesterday morning under the command of Captain Garret Brady. It was given a special escort from the runway to the parking stand by Cork Airport Police & Fire Service.

The aircraft, registration EI-ABI, is an exact replica of Aer Lingus' very first plane, which flew the airline's inaugural route from Baldonnell in Dublin to Bristol's Whitchurch airport in May 1936. That first flight carried five passengers and took three hours, cruising at an average speed of 110mph (177km/h). By comparison, a modern Aer Lingus Airbus A320 cruises at 515mph (829km/h).

The original "Iolar" was lost off the English coast during the Second World War. This replica joined the Aer Lingus fleet in 1986 as the airline marked its 50th anniversary, carrying the same registration, EI-ABI, and paid its first visit to Cork Airport that same year, as the airport celebrated its 25th anniversary. It returned to Cork in 2011 to mark the airport's 50th anniversary, and more recently underwent further restoration, marking the airline's 90th anniversary by reprising the original Dublin to Bristol route on 27 May.

Yesterday's visit was the fourth time the aircraft has come to Cork Airport. As part of the celebrations, staff from both Cork Airport and Aer Lingus had the chance to take scenic flights over Cork city and harbour at an altitude of 2,000 feet.

Aer Lingus and Cork Airport's shared history stretches back to the airport's opening in October 1961. The very first flight to land there was an Aer Lingus Fokker Friendship, EI-AKG "St Fiachra," which operated a proving flight on 12 October 1961. Today, Aer Lingus flies from Cork to 15 destinations across the UK and Europe, including four daily services to London Heathrow, providing onward connections via the British Airways network.

Darran Dineen, General Manager – Operations, Safety, IT and Facilities at Cork Airport, said:

"This is truly a unique and historic visit today as we welcome the Aer Lingus 'Iolar', the fourth such occasion that the aircraft has visited Cork Airport. It's a doubly special occasion for the visit as Aer Lingus celebrates its 90th anniversary, Cork Airport is marking its 65th year. Aer Lingus is our longest standing airline customer, having a presence here since 1961 and we're especially proud to join in the celebration with Aer Lingus' Cork-based staff, marking the 90th anniversary of the airline."

Adrian Dunne, Chief Operating Officer at Aer Lingus, added:

"As Aer Lingus and Cork Airport mark major milestones in their histories, it is particularly special to bring the Iolar to Cork and showcase this iconic piece of Ireland's aviation heritage to colleagues, customers and aviation enthusiasts."

Cork Airport, part of the daa Group, is the second largest airport in the Republic of Ireland and was voted "Best Regional Airport in Europe" by Airport Council International Europe in June 2025. It welcomed 3.46 million passengers last year, an increase of 13% on 2024, its busiest year on record. The airport is progressing a €200 million capital development programme aimed at supporting growth beyond five million passengers a year.