Aer Lingus has today announced its largest ever transatlantic summer schedule for 2026 as well as further expansion of its long-haul network with the introduction of a new service through Dublin to Raleigh-Durham International Airport, North Carolina, next year.
Those in the UK choosing to connect at Dublin can take advantage of US pre-clearance. Connections can be made from 13 UK airports including: Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Leeds Bradford, Newcastle, Southampton, Liverpool John Lennon, Isle of Man, Exeter, Cornwall Airport Newquay, and Heathrow.
Aer Lingus has significantly grown its transatlantic network with the addition of ten new routes in the past four years. As well as new routes, Aer Lingus has added additional capacity to many existing routes and for summer 2026, operating its largest transatlantic schedule to date in response to demand and market opportunities.
Next stop, North Carolina
Aer Lingus has also announced further expansion of its long-haul network with the introduction of a direct service from Dublin to Raleigh-Durham International Airport, North Carolina.
Taking off in April 2026, the new route will bring the total number of routes Aer Lingus operates to North America to twenty-six. The continued growth of the airline’s North American network is part of its Dublin Hub strategy, providing a central gateway between North America, Ireland, the UK and Europe – with those connecting through Dublin able to take advantage of pre-clearance for the US.
The service will connect the cities of Raleigh and Durham directly to Ireland for the first time and serve the wider State of North Carolina, with its population of over 11 million, with greater links to UK, Ireland and Europe. The year-round route will operate up to five times weekly on Aer Lingus.
Commenting at the launch of the new route, Michael Landguth, President and CEO of the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority, said: “Dublin is a high-demand international destination for travellers from the Research Triangle region, and we are proud that Aer Lingus has chosen RDU for this nonstop service. The Aer Lingus flight will provide a quick and convenient journey to Ireland and beyond for tourism, business and educational opportunities.”
Commenting on Aer Lingus’ 2026 transatlantic expansion, Lynne Embleton, CEO of Aer Lingus, added: “We’re delighted to be adding Raleigh-Durham International Airport to our growing North American network. It’s a vibrant and thriving region with well-established links to Ireland, that will be further strengthened with our new direct service.”
“In addition to new this new route, our 2026 plans reflect another year of growth with increased frequency on our established network, and more choice for our customers. We’ll be serving 26 destinations across North America in 2026, reinforcing Aer Lingus as a popular choice for North Atlantic travel. We’re planning more frequency to popular new destinations Nashville and Indianapolis which launched earlier this year, as well as strengthening our schedule to cities already well established on our network, such as New York, Boston and Orlando.”
