Philadelphia Here 'We' Come -- Aer Lingus Announces 2018 Summer Schedule

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - October 04, 2017) -

• Largest ever transatlantic schedule with 177,000 additional seats to North America
• Philadelphia to Dublin -- new US route for Summer 2018 commences March 25th
• 575 additional transatlantic flights versus previous summer
• Double daily services from US West Coast -- San Francisco and Los Angeles
• Twice daily service from Chicago
• 8 Airbus A321 Long Range aircraft to provide further North Atlantic growth

Aer Lingus today announced its 2018 Dublin Summer Schedule which features a brand new North American gateway -- Philadelphia -- operating four times per week direct to Dublin. The latest route expansion comes on the back of IAG investment in new aircraft, with Aer Lingus taking delivery of four new long haul aircraft in the last 24 months, enabling the introduction of four new transatlantic routes; Los Angeles, Newark, Hartford, Miami and now Philadelphia.

Largest ever transatlantic network

Summer 2018 will mark the airline's largest ever long haul program with 177,000 additional seats across the Atlantic over the summer season. Aer Lingus' total capacity to and from North America for 2018 will reach 2.75 million seats. Additional transatlantic expansion includes a daily service from both San Francisco and Los Angeles on the US West Coast as well as twice daily flights from Chicago.

Miami, which was launched as a new route in late summer 2017 and subsequently as a new winter route, will continue into next summer operating three times per week. Miami combined with Orlando, operating four times weekly, will offer a direct connection from Florida to Ireland every day for summer 2018. Washington DC will continue to operate daily for summer but on a larger Airbus A330-300 series aircraft, for four out of seven days, providing 31% additional seats on the route.

Aer Lingus Delivers on North Atlantic Gateway Strategy

Aer Lingus continues to drive its strategy of expanding its Dublin Airport base into a major gateway to Europe. For visitors traveling from Philadelphia next summer, Aer Lingus offers seamless connections to 21 key European destinations via Dublin. Equally the convenience of U.S Customs and Border Protection services at Dublin make it an attractive proposition upon the return from Europe. On the strength of its connectivity to North America, Dublin Airport holds fifth position on the league table of European transatlantic airports in 2016, having jumped from eleventh position in 2010. Aer Lingus has ambitious growth targets for its transatlantic gateway and will add eight Airbus A321 Long Range aircraft to its fleet in 2019 and 2020 to support further transatlantic route launches in the coming years.

Speaking at the launch of Aer Lingus' Summer 2018 Program, Mike Rutter, Chief Operating Officer said:

"We are delighted to announce Philadelphia as our new route for summer 2018. We are proud to continue to deliver on our promise to grow our transatlantic network and further strengthen Dublin Airport as a leading gateway from North America. We are delighted to be delivering on the growth opportunities that being part of International Airlines Group has presented over the past two years. The introduction of Philadelphia comes on the back of the four new routes announced in the last two years, namely Los Angeles, Newark, Hartford and Miami.

"The future holds bright and interesting prospects for Aer Lingus as eight new Airbus A321 Long Range aircraft are set to join our fleet in the coming years and by the end of this year, 2017, we will welcome another brand new Airbus A330."

Marking the launch of the new Dublin Philadelphia route, Chellie Cameron, Philadelphia Airport CEO commented:

"We are very pleased to welcome Aer Lingus to PHL and look forward to offering more non-stop, year-round service to Dublin. This capital city is a gateway to the beautiful country of Ireland, Europe and beyond. We are proud to expand our non-stop international service and we are excited to enhance travel between Ireland and Philadelphia."

Notes to Editor

Summer 2018 Long Haul Route Info