Aer Lingus this weekend began a brand-new service connecting the West coast of Ireland to London Heathrow and recommenced direct flights to Hartford, Connecticut from Dublin.
The inaugural Aer Lingus flight EI916, operated by an Airbus A320, departed from Ireland West Airport at Knock for Heathrow at 1.05pm on March 26.
Given the close proximity of Knock to the Wild Atlantic Way and the huge spotlight on the West of Ireland following the box-office hit ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’, the new route will connect UK visitors, and those travelling via Heathrow, to one of Ireland’s most popular destinations.
Tourism Ireland figures indicate that the majority of visitors to Ireland are from Great Britain (42%), followed by the US (15%) which validates the new Aer Lingus route and highlights the importance of connectivity between Ireland and Great Britain.
In addition, according to Tourism Ireland, 4.78 million people from Great Britain visited the Island of Ireland in 2019, generating €1.4 billion in revenue and 28% of British holidaymakers were between the ages of 25 and 34.
For residents of the West of Ireland, who can use Aer Lingus’ 16 direct Aer Lingus North American routes from Dublin and Shannon airports this summer, the London Heathrow service will also enable them to connect to destinations right across the globe via the UK’s largest and busiest airport.
Return to Hartford – driving connectivity to North America
The weekend also marked the recommencement of Aer Lingus’ Dublin-Hartford service for the first time in over two years.
Aer Lingus flight EI131, which departed from Dublin for Hartford on March 26, is operated by an Airbus A321neo LR. This is the airline’s most sustainable long-haul aircraft delivering a 20% reduction in fuel burn and CO2 emissions and close to 50% reduction in noise footprint when compared to previous generation aircraft.
Aer Lingus operating the only service from Bradley to Europe
The return of daily service between Dublin and Hartford is a critical milestone for Bradley International Airport as Aer Lingus operates the only direct service from there to Europe.
Travelling with Aer Lingus, customers departing from Hartford will not only benefit from a direct flight to Dublin, they can also enjoy seamless onward connections via Dublin to 28 UK and European airports including London, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Vienna, Madrid, Barcelona, Rome and Prague, plus many more.
Hartford is one of 16 North American destinations which Aer Lingus will operate to this summer. With over 2.25 million transatlantic seats on sale, 2023 marks the airline’s largest ever North American summer schedule to date. As part of that Aer Lings will have a direct route to Cleveland, Ohio, starting in May.
