Aer Lingus plans to expand transatlantic services from Dublin and is searching for new destinations in North America.
The Irish flag carrier takes delivery of up to 12 new Airbus A321neo long range aircraft between 2019 and 2021, in addition to its fleet of A330 widebody fleet, resulting in significant additional capacity on its North American network.
The airline is seeking commercial support for transatlantic network development from airports in the US and Canada with a deadline for applications set for April 6 and new routes announced in May.
Aer Lingus would operate from Dublin, Europe’s fastest growing transatlantic hub, offering both US Customs and Border Protection pre-clearance and connectivity throughout Europe.
The process is open to both airports not yet served by Aer Lingus for new route opportunities and those already served for increased capacity or frequencies.
The process applies to both the A321 long range aircraft as well as existing A330s, as wide-body capacity may become available by substitution with the new A321s.
While traditionally Aer Lingus connected Ireland and North America, today more than a third of the airline’s transatlantic passengers are connecting via Dublin onto its UK and European network.
Aer Lingus will operate its largest transatlantic network this summer, flying 15 North American routes including new Dublin-Seattle and Dublin-Philadelphia services.
Chief strategy and planning officer Greg Kaldahl said: “Aer Lingus has a proven track record in developing new and profitable transatlantic routes.
“Having doubled the scale of our transatlantic operation over the past five years we continue our mission to be the leading value carrier on the North Atlantic.
“This is a great opportunity for economic growth through tourism and commercial links for regions and airports in North America, and we are confident that many communities will choose to engage with us in this exciting process.”