Aer Lingus commences its inaugural service to Cleveland in Ohio, its first new transatlantic route since 2019, on cue with the surge in US demand for travel this summer. With the start of its new service, Aer Lingus becomes the only airline to fly between Europe and Cleveland, opening a unique gateway to the Midwest for its customers.Customer demand for the route has already taken off, with more than 90% of seats booked across the peak summer season, with general transatlantic bookings up more than 20% on 2019 levels this summer.

Data* shows 40% of the airline’s US customers are eager to travel outside North America, with 33% putting destinations in Europe at the top of their list.The bounce back in demand for premium leisure travel has fuelled the jump in demand from Aer Lingus’ UK and European customers connecting via Dublin, with bookings to Washington D.C. and Orlando increasing by 40% and 35% respectively, since 2019.

The new four times a week service from Dublin continues Aer Lingus’ highly focused strategy of growing its position as a major transatlantic connecting carrier between Ireland and Europe – and North America.Since 2013, Aer Lingus has grown the number of transatlantic routes it serves from six to 19 in 2023 and the number of transatlantic passengers will have almost tripled in the same timeframe, from 1.1m in 2013 to an expected 3m in 2023.

Lynne Embleton, CEO, Aer Lingus, said: “The addition of the new Cleveland route is a further demonstration of Aer Lingus’ commitment to develop Dublin as a hub, a key part of the airline’s growth strategy. At Aer Lingus we are seeing a 20% increase in transatlantic bookings, a strong indicator of the demand amongst US passengers for travel to Ireland and Europe. which is being met by our largest ever transatlantic schedule, delivering over 2.25 million seats this summer.

“We are very proud of what we have achieved over the last decade having consistently grown our North American network and we plan to continue on this growth trajectory. Dublin’s geographic position is unique and advantageous for the airline as we can fly to North America operating some of the most sustainable aircraft across the Atlantic.

“Not only do we serve the very popular destinations such as New York, Boston, Chicago, and Los Angeles, our A321neoLR aircraft also allow us to provide connections to secondary cities such as Cleveland. “Our strategy augments direct travel between Ireland and the US with connecting passengers from across Europe.

“With the ability to preclear US Customs and Immigration in Dublin and competitive pricing, flying via Dublin is an attractive proposition. Almost 40% of Aer Lingus’ transatlantic passengers are connecting passengers flying through Dublin; positioning Aer Lingus and Dublin as a highly influential and growing player in transatlantic travel.”

The new four-times a week service from Dublin is operated with one of the airline’s state-of-the-art Airbus A321neoLRs, which is Aer Lingus’ most sustainable long-haul aircraft. It delivers up to a 20% reduction in fuel burn and CO2 emissions and almost reducing by half its noise footprint when compared to previous generation aircraft.

It accounts for over a third of Aer Lingus’ current fleet and from 2024/2025 it will boast this further with the planned delivery of six Airbus A321XLRs, which will open up further opportunities to expand Aer Lingus’ transatlantic network and deliver more new routes.

Flights to Cleveland start from £259 each way (including all taxes and charges) as part of a return journey, via Dublin from London Heathrow. The inaugural service of flight EI87 departed the Irish capital at 3:30pm for its eight-hour 20-minute transatlantic crossing in time for its scheduled arrival at 6:50pm (local). The returning EI86 will depart Cleveland every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday at 8:20pm, and will arrive back into Dublin at 4:55am the next day.

The city’s music scene is a major draw for visitors eager to explore the iconic Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Its seven sprawling floors feature thousands of artefacts and memorabilia, from awards to costumes, guitars, posters, lyrics, and record covers, to satisfy even the most avid of music fans.

Food lovers can visit the West Side Market, Cleveland’s oldest, hosting 100 vendors, and take in its classic 1910’s architecture, while the city’s Botanical Gardens and Museum of Art provide peace and escapism for those seeking a quieter pace.

UK customers can fly to Cleveland and connect via Dublin from 11 UK airports, including, Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds Bradford, London Gatwick, London Heathrow, Liverpool, Manchester, Isle of Man and Southampton.The airline now flies direct to 19 transatlantic routes from Dublin, Shannon and Manchester UK to North America and the Caribbean. Passing through US Immigration Pre-Clearance facilities at Aer Lingus’ Dublin Hub means customers can arrive into the US like a domestic passenger and avoid lengthy immigration queues.

All flights to North America with Aer Lingus enable customers to enjoy complimentary meals and hours of fantastic in-flight entertainment including the latest movie releases, TV boxsets, games, and music. Transatlantic checked-in baggage allowances start from a generous 23kg for those in Economy Class, while premium customers flying in Business Class are able to check-in up to three bags, with a combined weight of 69kg.