Aer Lingus has announced details of its summer 2015 schedule including the introduction of its ninth direct transatlantic service, with a new four times weekly summer service from Dublin to Washington-Dulles from 1st May 2015, and new summer routes to Agadir and Nantes. The combination of new cities, improved frequencies and expanded connectivity supports a 12% increase in available seats.
The Washington flights will operate on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. The airline is also increasing capacity on other transatlantic routes for summer 2015, including:
- Daily flight from Dublin to San Francisco, up from five weekly currently, with Tuesdays and Thursdays added
- Third daily flight from Dublin to New York for 12 weeks in the peak summer period, departing at the early time of 07.50 (arriving 10.20) and returning from New York at 12 noon daily (arriving 23.40). This will be the first departure from Dublin to New York among all carriers.
- Increase in frequency on the Dublin to Orlando route from three to four flights per week, from 1st May 2015, with the addition of Wednesday flights. There will be a major Disney launch in Ireland.
- 20% increase in capacity on the Shannon to Boston route for 12 weeks in the peak summer period, June through August
One-way fares on the three new routes, including taxes and charges, start from:
Dublin to Washington DC: €299.00
Dublin to Nantes: €59.99
Dublin to Agadir: €119.99
Overall transatlantic capacity will increase by 18.4% per week in the peak summer season. Short-haul capacity will also increase in summer 2015 with the new routes to Agadir and Nantes and increased frequency on popular holiday routes including Palma, Fuerteventura, Bordeaux, Venice and Bilbao. Nantes is the airline’s eighth French gateway. The frequency of flights from Dublin to key family destinations such as Faro, Palma and Paris will also increase.
Christoph Mueller, Chief Executive, Aer Lingus said: “We are growing like a start-up in Silicon Valley and the further expansion of our transatlantic service demonstrates the success of the Aer Lingus business model. We have grown our long-haul business by almost 40% over the past two years – and we intend to grow by double-digits again next year. No other transatlantic carrier is growing at this rate.
“The decision to launch the new Dublin to Washington route has been taken based on an improved trading environment on both sides of the Atlantic, and the continued development of Dublin as a hub for European traffic to the USA. We see it as a perfect time to connect both capital cities.
“The expansion of the Aer Lingus transatlantic network in 2015 represents a major boost for inbound tourism and further supports the vital trade links between Ireland and North America. We’re also delighted to announce new short haul routes and increased capacity, particularly on family holiday destinations in Europe.”
New Capacity and Connections
An additional A330-200 aircraft will facilitate the additional transatlantic services and allow the existing capacity to be allocated to other growing routes. This expansion will add 114,000 seats to the Aer Lingus transatlantic network annually.
Mike Rutter, Chief Revenue Officer, said: “We expect Dublin to be a major hub for UK and European passengers flying to Washington DC and onwards.” Aer Lingus passengers to Washington will be able to connect to over 30 North American destinations with United Airlines, including Denver, Los Angeles, Tampa and Pittsburgh.
Approximately 20,000 passengers who will use the new Washington route are expected to travel through Dublin from 17 Aer Lingus UK and European network destinations including Paris, London, Heathrow, Birmingham, Amsterdam, Manchester, Brussels and Newcastle.
Of particular note in the new summer schedule to Europe is an improved schedule between Dublin and Gatwick offering customers better timings across the day. In addition, a new early morning flight from Paris to Dublin and an evening flight from Dublin to Paris will facilitate business travellers who wish to conduct a full day’s business in Dublin.
