Irish carrier Aer Lingus takes delivery of its latest Airbus A330-300 aircraft named after the sixth-century bishop and abbot Saint Carthage the Elder.

The aircraft, configured for 30 business-class and 283 economy seats, joins a fleet of 14 other long-haul aircraft. The delivery comes as the carrier gears up for what is predicted to be the busiest summer on record with 2.5 million seats to 11 North American trans-Atlantic destinations, including a new route between Dublin (DUB) and Miami (MIA) starting in September.

“The delivery of a new aircraft, particularly an A330, always creates a wave of excitement across the airline and represents a significant investment for Aer Lingus, in growth, in our guest experience and in Dublin as our transatlantic gateway,” said Declan Kearney, director of communications, Aer Lingus. “Summer 2017 will be our busiest on record and the new aircraft will join our long-haul fleet operating 13 routes between Ireland and North America including Miami, where we will begin flying in September. Aer Lingus remains committed to growing our transatlantic network and connecting Ireland and Europe to even more destinations across North America.”

The carrier employed around 200 new cabin crew to cover summer schedules, who will operate flights across the carrier’s European network, including a new route in Croatia. Aer Lingus also added 100,000 additional seats on popular summer routes like Lanzarote (ACE), Gran Canaria (LPA) and Tenerife (TFN).