Aer Lingus is ramping up service between the U.S. and Eire in a giant approach, with extra flights to main U.S. cities — and an all-new vacation spot on the East Coast.
The Irish flag service on Wednesday introduced it would launch nonstop flights between Dublin Airport (DUB) and Raleigh-Durham Worldwide Airport (RDU) starting in April 2026.
It will be the airline’s twenty sixth North American route, and can join the Irish capital with North Carolina’s second-largest airport — one which’s rapidly rising its listing of worldwide locations.
New flights between North Carolina and Eire
Aer Lingus’ RDU flights will launch April 13, 2026, and can function 5 occasions every week on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays.
The flights will proceed through the quieter winter months, with one fewer weekly spherical journey.
A nonstop route facilitated by a brand new plane
This new nonstop service between Raleigh and Dublin is Aer Lingus’ newest new path to a medium-size U.S. market, owed partly to the arrival of its latest airplane: the Airbus A321XLR, an all-new long-range, single-aisle plane capable of flying long-haul international routes. Aer Lingus’ A321XLR options 16 lie-flat business-class seats up entrance.
Learn extra: On board the world’s first Airbus A321XLR, the aircraft that could revolutionize transatlantic travel
Aer Lingus was one of many first carriers on this planet to debut the jet, which additionally helped it launch new flights in 2025 to Nashville and Indianapolis.
Up subsequent: North Carolina’s Analysis Triangle, house to a bunch of main universities — together with the College of North Carolina, which, Aer Lingus identified, will compete subsequent August in a university soccer sport in Dublin.
Reward your inbox with the TPG Every day publication
Be a part of over 700,000 readers for breaking information, in-depth guides and unique offers from TPG’s specialists
“We’re delighted to be including Raleigh-Durham Worldwide Airport to our rising North American community. It is a vibrant and thriving area with well-established hyperlinks to Eire, that might be additional strengthened with our new direct service,” Aer Lingus CEO Lynne Embleton mentioned in an announcement Wednesday.
RDU’s quick international growth
Gaining Eire service is the most recent massive win on the worldwide stage for Raleigh-Durham.
RDU is my house airport, and I’ve seen the fast development in flights, every day, to worldwide locations. In 2025, airways had been set to supply 62% extra seats to cities outdoors the U.S. than two years in the past, in response to knowledge from aviation analytics agency Cirium.
Latest years have seen the airport achieve service from a bunch of recent worldwide airways, together with Air France, Lufthansa, Copa Airlines and Aeromexico.
Dublin resort evaluate: Comfort and convenience in the heart of the city — my stay at the Conrad Dublin
American Airways continues to supply its day by day Boeing 777 flight to London. And low-cost Avelo Airways recently launched Caribbean service from RDU.
Aer Lingus bolsters current US routes
On prime of including new North Carolina service, Aer Lingus may also bolster its weekly flying on a number of U.S. routes.
- Indianapolis Worldwide Airport (IND) and Nashville Worldwide Airport (BNA) service to Dublin will run 5 occasions weekly through the summer season of 2026 — up from 4 occasions weekly in 2024.
- Orlando Worldwide Airport (MCO) flights to Dublin will run day by day subsequent summer season.
- Nonstop service from Boston Logan Worldwide Airport (BOS) to Shannon, Eire, will run 10 occasions every week through the peak summer season months.
All informed, Aer Lingus mentioned its summer season 2026 schedule might be its largest ever over the Atlantic.
That is after the service’s U.S. departures in 2025 had been up some 36% over prepandemic 2019, per Cirium.
Reserving Aer Lingus with factors and miles
If you happen to’re hoping to make use of factors and miles to fly Aer Lingus to Eire, there are numerous choices — even in case you do not presently have any award forex with the service.
You possibly can switch American Express Membership Rewards points, Chase Ultimate Rewards points and Bilt Rewards Points on to Aer Lingus AerClub.
Additionally essential to notice: The airline shares the identical Avios award forex as British Airways, Iberia, Qatar Airways and Finnair (and others). You probably have Avios with any of these airways, there’s a new tool that can make it easier to switch these Avios proper over to Aer Lingus.
To that very same finish: If you happen to’re a Capital One cardholder, you’ll be able to switch your miles to British Airways Membership, after which transfer these Avios over to Aer Lingus.
Citi ThankYou Rewards members can do the identical through Qatar.
Associated studying:
Trending Merchandise
