American Airlines has launched its daily non-stop service between Dublin and New York JFK. The new flight is in addition to American’s existing non-stop, six times a week service from Dublin to Chicago O’Hare. The route is operated with a two-class B757-200 with 181 seats and as part of American’s joint business agreement with fellow Oneworld members British Airways and Iberia, connecting travellers to the USA, Caribbean and Latin America from more than 125 cities throughout Europe. 
“Adding this route enhances our expanding global network from JFK and further establishes American’s commitment to providing our customers seamless, one-stop connections to major business and leisure destinations from Europe,” said Tim Ahern, American’s Vice President – New York and International.
Oliver Cussen, Deputy Chief Executive of Dublin Airport Authority, said: “The United States is a key trading partner for Ireland from both a business and tourism perspective, and this new JFK service will deliver additional business and leisure visitors to the Irish market. Dublin will have flights to 11 destinations in North America this summer, offering passengers a fantastic range of routes and onward connections.”
Already more than 600,000 passengers have travelled between Dublin and North America, an 11% increase on last year. “There is clearly an increase in premium travel on North American routes and we are also seeing growth in US tourists coming into Ireland, as The Gathering, which is supported by DAA, is generating coverage and interest in Ireland throughout America,” added Oliver. “This summer, during the peak season, we will have 224 flights to and from Dublin and North America per week.”
Niall Gibbons, Tourism Ireland’s Chief Executive, said: “We are delighted that American Airlines has chosen to operate this new service from New York to Dublin. The most recent figures from the CSO showed a very positive start to 2013, with an increase in visitor numbers from North America of +16% for the period February to April. This is an exciting year for tourism, with The Gathering having very much caught the imagination of American travellers – particularly those with Irish heritage. We believe that we are on course to achieve our best year ever from this market; in 2013, we hope to welcome over one million American visitors, spending about US$1 billion.”
