A number of new and returning air services have been announced for airports on the island of Ireland.
Belfast City Airport
According to a statement published on BelfastCityAirport.com, Flybe will operate flights from Belfast City Airport to the Isle of Man six days a week from 30 October.
According to a separate, subsequent statement published on BelfastCityAirport.com, Travel Solutions has announced the launch of a new summer programme that will feature direct flights from Belfast City Airport to Majorca.
Dublin Airport
According to a statement published on Corporate.Ryanair.com, Ryanair will operate a twice-weekly service from Dublin Airport to Cluj, Romania, from 1 November.
According to a statement published on MediaCentre.AerLingus.com, Aer Lingus will resume daily services from Dublin Airport to Hartford, Connecticut, on 26 March 2023.
Shannon Airport
Ryanair has announced two new routes from Shannon Airport and a third aircraft based at the airport, which will create an additional 30 direct jobs therein.
The two new routes – to Béziers, in the south of France, and Newcastle, in the UK – will begin operating from Shannon in summer 2023. The new twice-weekly Béziers service will run on Mondays and Saturdays from 27 March 2023, and the Newcastle service will run three times a week – on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays – from 26 March 2023.
The move will see Ryanair operate a total of 24 routes and over 180 weekly flights at Shannon Airport next summer, which is a 60% increase on 2019/pre-pandemic levels. This builds on Shannon Airport’s biggest-ever Ryanair winter schedule, which currently operates 60 flights per week, or 66% more flights than it operated in the winter of 2019.
United Airlines has announced that it will operate a new daily non-stop seasonal service from Shannon Airport to Chicago in the summer of 2023.
The new service will commence on 26 May 2023, departing from Shannon daily at 09.30am on a Boeing 757-200 aircraft to Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.
Welcoming the announcement of the Shannon-to-Chicago service, Niall Gibbons, chief executive of Tourism Ireland, said, “We are really pleased to hear that United Airlines will reinstate its service between Chicago and Shannon Airport next May. We look forward to working closely with United, to maximise the promotion of this service. As an island, direct, convenient and competitive access services are critical to restoring growth in inbound tourism. Tourism Ireland is committed to working with United, Shannon Airport, and other tourism interests to drive demand for this new service – and all other services to the island of Ireland – and help maintain our vital network of routes and services.
“The United States remains an extremely important market for tourism to the island of Ireland. In 2019, we welcomed 1.7 million American visitors, whose visits delivered €1.6 billion for the economy.”
© 2022 Hospitality Ireland – your source for the latest industry news. Article by Dave Simpson. Click subscribe to sign up for the Hospitality Ireland print edition.
