• Aer Lingus announces 2 new North American gateways
• More than 3 million seats from 15 transatlantic gateways on sale from 2019

DUBLIN, Ireland, Sept. 12, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- There are now 15 ways from the USA . . . and Canada as Aer Lingus today announced two new North American gateways to Ireland and Europe for summer 2019 - Minneapolis-St. Paul and Montreal, Canada. Aer Lingus will commence flying direct to Dublin from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) and from Trudeau International Airport (YUL) direct to Dublin in summer 2019.

Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota joins Montreal as the 14th and 15th North American destinations on Aer Lingus’ expanding transatlantic network1. Today’s announcement is a further demonstration of Aer Lingus’ mission to be the leading value carrier across the North Atlantic. The two new gateways will add a quarter of a million additional seats annually to Aer Lingus’ transatlantic network which already comprises 2.8m seats annually between North America and Ireland.

Nice to Meet You, Minneapolis-St. Paul!

Summer flights from Minneapolis-St. Paul will commence July 8, 2019 and will operate with daily direct service to Dublin, Ireland via a Boeing 757 aircraft. Winter service will operate four times per week. Guests can avail of convenient connecting service to a range of British and European cities including Amsterdam, Barcelona, Edinburgh, London, and Paris. Flights also feature the time-saving U.S. Customs and Immigration pre-clearance in Ireland prior to return.

Aer Lingus Saver Fares from Minneapolis-St. Paul to Dublin, Ireland start from $759 round-trip inclusive of taxes and fees for travel July 8 through August 22, 2019. Terms and conditions apply. Book by September 26, 2018. Visit aerlingus.com for details.

Bonjour, Montreal!

On August 8, 2019 Aer Lingus will fly from Montreal’s Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport with daily direct service to Dublin, and a four times weekly service in the winter. The service features connecting service to 35 destinations across Britain and Europe including Edinburgh, London, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, and Barcelona, as well as connections to six French cities including Paris, Lyon, Toulouse, Nice, Nantes, and Bordeaux. Flights will operate via an Airbus A321 neo long-range aircraft.

Saver Fares from Montreal start from $739 round-trip including air transportation charges, taxes & fees for travel August 8 through August 22, 2019. Terms and conditions apply. Book by September 26, 2018. Visit aerlingus.com for details.

1 In summer 2019 Aer Lingus will fly direct from 15 North American destinations including Minneapolis-St. Paul and Montréal. Including service to Shannon from Boston and JFK, Aer Lingus will operate a total of 17 routes between North America and Ireland.

Continued transatlantic growth

Since joining IAG in 2015, Aer Lingus has launched eight new direct transatlantic services from North America including Los Angeles, Newark, Hartford, Miami, Philadelphia, Seattle and now Montreal and Minneapolis-St. Paul, marking the largest ever transatlantic expansion in the airline’s history.

Aer Lingus continues to drive its strategy of expanding the airline’s Dublin Airport base into a major European transatlantic gateway, as illustrated by the same terminal connections to destinations across Europe.

These routes are enabled by the new technology delivered by the Airbus A321 neo long-range aircraft. Aer Lingus takes its first deliveries of this new aircraft in 2019. The Airbus A321 neo long–range aircraft has new engine and aero-dynamic technology which delivers increased range, increased fuel efficiency and reduced noise.

Speaking at the launch of Aer Lingus’ new transatlantic routes, Stephen Kavanagh, Aer Lingus CEO said:

“Today we are pleased to announce two new transatlantic routes from our Dublin Hub with daily direct service to Montreal and Minneapolis-St. Paul commencing in summer 2019. These destinations each have a rich heritage, vibrant culture and much to offer visitors travelling for business or leisure.

Aer Lingus continues to deliver on its ambition to be the leading value carrier across the North Atlantic, adding new routes and travel options between Ireland, Europe, the USA and Canada, bringing increased connectivity, growing Irish employment and supporting international trade and economic growth.”

Brian Ryks, Executive Director and CEO of the Metropolitan Airports Commission, which owns and operates Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, commented:

“Minneapolis-St. Paul and Dublin are both important centres for commerce and culture, with vibrant arts and entertainment offerings. I am very pleased that Aer Lingus will provide a direct connection between the cities, creating opportunities to strengthen economic and cultural ties on both sides of the Atlantic.”

Philippe Rainville, President and CEO of Aéroports de Montréal, added:

“We are tremendously proud to welcome Aer Lingus, the 37th airline to join the great Montréal-Trudeau family. The arrival of the Irish carrier on the Montréal-Dublin route starting in August 2019 will enhance the annual air service to a very popular destination for both our communities, at a competitive price. I’m sure travellers will appreciate this year-long direct connection and am confident this new collaboration will be a successful one.”

‘Dub Hub’

Aer Lingus’ two newest transatlantic destinations were announced at an event in Dublin today which also saw the launch of a report by EY, which assesses the potential economic impact which could derive from the development of Dublin Airport as a Hub. The report concludes that investment in hub infrastructure at Dublin Airport could add €18.6bn to Ireland’s GDP over the next 15 years, as well as generating an additional 33,950 jobs in the Irish economy. The bulk of the jobs would be generated in the tourism sector (26,990 jobs), with the remainder coming from the aviation sector and other indirect jobs. An additional €6bn would flow to the Exchequer over the same period, from increases in a variety of taxes including VAT, excise, corporation tax and payroll tax. During the construction phase from 2018 to 2023, an additional 1,147 jobs would also be created.