Aer Lingus is to restart its daily service to Hartford, Connecticut, direct from Dublin, as the airline continues to rebuild and grow its transatlantic network. This follows the recent announcement of flights to Cleveland, Ohio, which is a brand new North American destination for Aer Lingus and will be part of its summer 2023 schedule.

Hartford marks Aer Lingus’ 16^th transatlantic route from Ireland and the 19^th from the UK. The daily service will resume from 26 March next year and will be a critical milestone for Bradley International Airport as Aer Lingus will operate its only direct service to Europe.

UK customers can fly to Hartford by connecting via Dublin from 11 UK airports, including; London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Bristol, Southampton, Leeds Bradford, Exeter, Newcastle. Customers flying to North America with Aer Lingus via its Dublin hub, can experience the benefit of US Immigration Pre-clearance before they depart, which allows them to arrive into the US like a domestic passenger, avoiding any lengthy immigration queues.

Lynne Embleton, Aer Lingus chief executive, said: “We are opening up key cities and regions in the United States to Irish, UK and European customers, by adding new transatlantic routes to the Aer Lingus schedule. “Daily flights to Hartford will bring travellers into the centre of Connecticut, home to global businesses, Yale University and renowned tourist attractions. ‘’Aer Lingus is forging ahead with its North American expansion plans, growing the number of transatlantic routes from its Dublin hub.

“The restart of the daily flight into Bradley International Airport, is the only direct service to Europe, reflecting Aer Lingus’ ability to connect UK and European customers with North America.” The Dublin-Hartford service will be operated by an Airbus A321neo which is Aer Lingus’ most sustainable long-haul aircraft. The Airbus A321neo, which comprises both Business and Economy class cabins, delivers up to 20% reduction in fuel burn and CO2 emissions and close to 50% reduction in noise footprint when compared to previous generation aircraft.

Kevin A. Dillon, A.A.E., Connecticut Airport Authority executive director, said: “The resumption of the Aer Lingus route has been a major priority in our recovery strategy. “We look forward to rebuilding the service, continuing the strong momentum it had prior to the onset of the pandemic, and bringing back easy and quick transatlantic access with an award-winning airline.”

Hartford is the capital of Connecticut and often referred to as the ‘insurance capital of the world’. Housing many insurance company headquarters, insurance remains the region’s major industry. Hartford and the Connecticut region are also popular as tourist destinations with many interesting visitor attractions.

Hartford is home to the Mark Twain House where the author wrote his most famous works and in nearby Newhaven, Connecticut, is Yale University – one of the most prestigious American, Ivy League universities.