Headline sponsors took to the stage and highlighted connectivity, ease of travel, key destinations and missions for the USA, including Dublin Airport, Aer Lingus, Brand USA, Bradley International Airport, Philadelphia, Connecticut and Western Massachusetts.
Dublin Airport – As Many Passengers as Croke Park & the Aviva in a Single Day
Eoin McLaughlin, VP of Business Development at Dublin Airport, after welcoming guests to Ireland and an Irish version of a heatwave, highlighted that the airport is in the middle of celebrating its 85th anniversary.
He explained, it is extraordinary how far we have come since the first flight from Dublin Airport to Liverpool in January 1940. The first transatlantic flight was in conjunction with Shannon Airport and was in 1958. Terminals 1 and 2 opened in 1972 and 2010, respectively. And here, in 2025, Dublin Airport enables 36 million passengers to travel to their destinations. From 1940 to 2022, 400 million passengers have travelled through Dublin Airport, with 2023-2025 projected to reach 100 million passengers, illustrating the growth experienced by the country’s largest airport.
The busiest day for the airport was during June of this year, with just under 130,000 people. Eoin pointed out that this equates to handling Croke Park and Aviva together in one day. Despite the huge volumes of passengers, Eoin highlighted that Dublin Airport still gets 96% of passengers through security in less than 20 minutes, an achievement made possible by the Operations Team at the airport.
Dublin Airport will facilitate 190 routes across 45 airlines this summer
This summer, Dublin Airport will facilitate 190 routes across 45 airlines. Interestingly, 22 of the destinations are to the USA, which equates to ~12% of all routes. This puts Ireland third highest on the list of destinations from European airports to the USA.
Eoin explained that the combination of Pre-Clearance and Dublin as a connection hub has further aided Dublin Airport’s growth.
The 22 routes provide c. 5 million seats in 2025, and Eoin shared that their hope is to exceed 4 million passengers for the first time. This year sees a 10% increase in capacity on top of exceptional growth in recent years. Equally, their aim is to support the airline partners in ensuring the routes remain in Dublin Airport into the long term, referencing the new routes such as Aer Lingus’ to Nashville, Las Vegas & Detroit as well as expansion in frequency and duration of routes to well-established US cities like Boston, NYC and Chicago.
Sports Fixtures in Late Summer & Direct Flights to 21 of the 32 NFL Teams
Looking towards the end of the summer and into autumn, the Aer Lingus College Classic returns, this time with Kansas City playing Iowa State, plus an NFL game in Ireland will see the Pittsburgh Steelers playing the Minnesota Vikings. In fact, Eoin points out, 21 of the 32 NFL teams can fly direct to Dublin. Any of us who have travelled to the States will know, regardless of what city or what state, the Irish-Americans have a strong desire to visit the “homeland”.
Eoin highlighted that Dublin Airport has fully revamped its food and beverage offering over the last 18 months and has opened 15 new outlets, added over 1,000 seats, and rebranded the lounges with more to come in winter.
Dublin Airport launched its loyalty programme, new Platinum Terminal and Drop & Go parking. While I haven’t seen their new Platinum Terminal, which opened last week, I opted for their Drop&Go parking facility on my family holiday, and it was a seamless experience (particularly with three kids in tow).
He emphasised, “It’s not just about us being here tonight. It’s not just about the airport and the numbers. It’s about the tourists travelling to America. It’s about the guy going to see the Grand Canyon or the Yale Museum in Connecticut or up the Rocky Steps and have a Philly Cheesesteak in Philadelphia or the American coming into Ireland and going to see the Guinness Storehouse or the EPIC museum or the Cliffs of Moher… It’s about the many millions of Irish people who go to see their friends and family on both sides of the Atlantic.”
The importance of tourism & connections can’t be overstated or taken for granted
“The importance of tourism and connections – they can’t be overstated or taken for granted because we’re a small island nation with an open economy and aviation plays an absolutely massive role in our economic and social prosperity”.
He stated, “We all know that to continue to where we want to be, we have to ensure that there’s no restrictions, no passenger caps and we ensure that our tourism industry continues to go from strength to strength” was met with thunderous applause.
Jenny Rafter – Aer Lingus
Jenny Rafter (Aer Lingus) brought us down a trip through memory lane. Aer Lingus operated its first flight in 1936, meaning the airline will celebrate its 90th anniversary next year.
She explained the love affair with North America started over 65 years ago, and the first transatlantic flight flew on 28 April 1958 from Dublin to New York’s JFK with a stopover in Shannon Airport. There were 99 customers and a crew of six. Routes to Chicago and Boston followed shortly afterwards, driven by the Irish diaspora. Today, Aer Lingus has grown to the fourth largest carrier across the Atlantic. Jenny explained that “connecting our short-haul network to our long-haul network, there are over 100 different connections from the UK and Europe feeding the North American market with 21 routes, soon to be 22.”
Jenny added, “We started our Manchester base three years ago and we welcomed our one millionth passenger just last month in Manchester.”
Aer Lingus offer direct flights from Manchester to JFK, Orlando and has recently launched its first Caribbean route. Interestingly, Aer Lingus will move from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2, providing an easier connection for anyone flying via Manchester.
Jenny highlighted a number of milestones, riding horseback in the Rocky Mountains following the launch of the direct Dublin – Denver route, the takeover of The Sphere by Aer Lingus on the day the inaugural flight arrived in Las Vegas.
The newest routes to North America are to Nashville – the home of country music and Indianapolis – a gateway to the Great Lakes and home to the largest one-day sports event anywhere in the world, the Indy 500. In addition, early 2026 will see the start of Aer Lingus’ second Caribbean service with direct flights to Cancún, Mexico.
Jenny highlighted that this growth is driven by our geographic location with the Dublin and Shannon hubs, with a feed from Aer Lingus’ short-haul to its long-haul network. She shared that the airline aims to get bigger & better with more investment in the fleet and in terms of Aer Lingus’ network. The success, she shares, is due to high connecting traffic, “38% of everything that flies through Dublin is connecting across our network and our fleet type.. Allows us to go double daily into some airports or daily into the kind of secondary cities that you mightn’t think Aer Lingus would fly to.”
Flying with Aer Lingus, guests will see a new amenity kit, an updated app, constantly changing menus, the latest movies and technology on the airline’s in-flight entertainment systems. Jenny added that the Economy cabin will offer complimentary beverages with meals (includes wines & beers). In addition, the airline is upgrading its lounges.
Finally, she recommended everyone join the Aer Lingus loyalty program, Aer Club, where travellers can earn points when flying with Aer Lingus or with partner airlines, with partner hotels, car rental, Uber, favourite brands and more.
Bradley International Airport – Service to Dublin is the Only Transatlantic Route
Mike Shea, Executive Director and CEO of the Connecticut Airport Authority, which operates Bradley International Airport (BDL), spoke at his first USA Summer Soirée event, highlighting that his airport is just 20 minutes from Hartford, Connecticut, the State’s capital and Springfield, which is in Western Massachusetts. He shared that it is the Gateway to New England for both domestic and international travel.
He shared, “Our non-stop Aer Lingus Dublin to Bradley route, which launched in 2016, remains incredibly important to us. It is currently our only transatlantic route and one we deeply value with the connections it builds between Ireland and New England. This route was also the first to operate with Aer Lingus’ new A321 NEO LR aircraft, offering a more comfortable, sustainable transatlantic experience.”
Mike explained, “Bradley International Airport offers the amenities of a major Hub but with the ease and convenience of a smaller airport. We like the claim from gate to kerb in five minutes. It’s the kind of convenience travellers are really appreciative of, and looking for, but we try to make it easy to get into the United States. There’s so much to offer and so much to explore.”
“Whether you are checking out Hartford’s Mark Twain House, exploring Mystic Seaport, visiting Yale University, or enjoying the stunning landscapes and attractions of our neighbours in Western Massachusetts, there’s just so much to discover and Bradley is the perfect starting point for doing so.”
Connecticut – not a drive-through State. We’re a drive-to State
Rachel Lenda, Director of Tourism for the State of Connecticut, shared she was born and raised in Connecticut and highly commended Bradley International Airport, for its service, the restaurants and how quickly it takes to journey through it.
She explains, Connecticut is “not a drive-through State. We’re a drive-to State. It’s a vibrant, pulsing blend of culture, flavour, and adventure, and we refuse to sit quietly in New England’s shadow.”
She highlighted, Pizza where Connecticut is the Pizza capital of the United States and is launching an official Pizza Trail, featuring Connecticut’s top 100 pizzerias. She explained, “Forget New York, they think they’re the best. I’m sorry New York. I apologise, I’m actually not sorry. Forget Chicago, that’s just a casserole. New Haven-style pizza is the original showstopper.”
Having sampled her acclaimed New Haven-style pizza, it is up there as one of the very best, so her claims are not without merit.
Maritime Culture – Connecticut oysters have been harvested for centuries. At one point in the late 1800s, they were the oyster capital of the United States. Last year, they launched the official Oyster Trail to celebrate it. Linda explains, “It’s not just Seafood. It’s maritime heritage that you can taste. It stops all along our beautiful shoreline, and Connecticut has roughly 660 miles of beautiful beachy lovely coastline.”
Connecticut is a State filled with art, culture, museums and cutting-edge galleries. Linda adds, “Broadway may get the spotlight, but Connecticut is where magic warms up legendary stages”. She shared that Broadway writer Lin-Manuel Miranda started his musical, In the Heights in Connecticut.
In terms of the great outdoors, Connecticut has it all. Linda highlights that Connecticut is the hiking capital of the country, “because wherever you are in the state, within 15 minutes, you’re on an open trail and open space, a state park, preserved land so it’s easily accessible.”
Whether by road or by rail, on a scenic train ride like the Essex Steam Train, it is easy to explore. For travel inspiration to Connecticut, check out ctvisit.com.
Western Massachusetts – Birthplace of Basketball & Dr. Seuss
Michelle Goldberg spoke of Western Massachusetts, between Hartford, Connecticut and Springfield, Massachusetts and within “a truly hassle-proof 20 minutes of landing [at Bradley]… you’ll be on your way to your New England adventure. When you explore western Mass, you’ll find one-of-a-kind attractions and beautiful New England countryside.”
“Visit the Larry Smith Basketball Hall of Fame – basketball was invented in Western Mass in Springfield, The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum – Dr. Seuss was born in Springfield. We also have the Six Flags New England theme park, MGM Springfield.”
There is even a Yankee Candle flagship store that snows on the hour. Western Massachusetts is also known for beautiful scenic vistas for outdoor adventure, from mountain biking to hiking, rafting and more.
Philadelphia – Best of the Best Destination & Rocky’s 50th
Julie Greenhill (Director GEC TR) highlighted that Philadelphia has been voted the Best of the Best Destination in 2025 plus the Best of the Best Walkable City. Making it easier to get around, there is also a new free airport bus, just in time for the World Cup.
Philadelphia will host 5 football matches in the Fifa World Cup and a quarter final and, more importantly (to probably only me), next year is the 50th anniversary of Rocky. You can’t go to Philly without trying a Philly Cheesesteak and, if you do go up the Rocky Steps, head inside to a truly marvellous art gallery at the top.
For direct flights, travellers have the option of Aer Lingus and American Airlines from Dublin.
Jackie Ennis, Brand USA – “lreland always delivers for us”
Jackie Ennis (Vice President, Global Trade Development for Brand USA) thanked the audience for their support and hard work. She highlighted that in 2024, Ireland was the 16th largest overseas market. And explained, “In terms of per capita, Ireland delivers more Irish visitors, more international visitors than any other market globally, which is amazing – almost a 90% increase on 2023, which was pretty phenomenal.”
Based on the June figures released this week, and despite the doom and gloom on the global stage, Jackie shared that the USA’s top 20 overseas markets into the USA were down 0.3%, providing some perspective in an environment with challenges and headwinds. She adds that Ireland is 0.6% up compared with the same period last year.
She explains, in relation to the mission of Brand USA, “Our job is really to do the job that we’re doing and promote the United States as the number one aspirational destination in the world.”
She emphasised that it is not just the places that everyone knows, but the ones off the beaten track, the places that are undiscovered.
She shares, “We always want to promote to the Irish visitor because they know the US so well, but we always have to give them reasons to return. And that’s part of our job – to provide the resources for the travel and trade industry to give them the confidence to sell those places that are undiscovered.”
She touched on the shift in Washington, DC but emphasised Brand USA has a job that they will continue to do and will be focusing on the positive aspects of selling the US. And added, “There is a lot to celebrate. We have FIFA World Cup coming up in 11 cities.” with Brand USA providing resources outlining what t itineraries can look like for the FIFA 11 cities as 11 gateways.
The global spotlight will be on America 250 which runs until 2026 and Brand USA has partnered with America250 to promote the USA’s semiquincentennial globally. Additionally, Route 66 celebrates its 100th anniversary with Brand USA diligently promoting road trips in the USA and the ultimate iconic trip, Route 66.
And finally, Jackie highlighted the weaker dollar, meaning the Euro will stretch a little further while the Irish shop Stateside.
