Aer Lingus is vigorously strengthening services between the United States and Ireland, flying to major U.S. cities, and brand new destinations on the East Coast.
Ireland Flag Airlines announced on Wednesday that it will start uninterrupted flights between Dublin Airport (DUB) and Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) starting in April 2026.
It will be the airline’s 26th North American route and will link the Irish capital to North Carolina’s second largest airport, which is rapidly increasing its list of international destinations.
New flights between North Carolina and Ireland
Aer Lingus’ RDU flights will be launched on April 13, 2026 and will be operated five times a week on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday.
These flights will continue during the quieter winter season, with round trips once a week.
Uninterrupted routes promoted by new aircraft
This new uninterrupted service between Raleigh and Dublin is the latest new avenue for Aer Lingus to the U.S. mid-sized market, partly due to the arrival of its latest aircraft: the Airbus A321XLR, a brand new long-range, single-decker aircraft capable of flying long-distance international routes. The Aer Lingus’ A321XLR has 16 Lie-Flat commercial-grade seats on the front.
Read more: Aircraft that could revolutionize transatlantic travel on the world’s first Airbus A321XLR
Aer Lingus is one of the first operators in the world to debut aircraft, which also helped it fly new flights to Nashville and Indianapolis in 2025.
Next step: North Carolina’s research triangle is home to many major universities, including the University of North Carolina, and Aer Lingus points out that he will compete in college football in Dublin next August.
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“We are delighted to add Raleigh-Durham International Airport to our growing North American network. It is a vibrant and thriving region with a sound connection to Ireland and our new direct services will be further strengthened,” said Lynne Embleton, CEO of Aer Lingus, in a statement Wednesday.
RDU’s rapid global expansion
Getting Ireland service is the latest win on the international stage of Raleigh-Durham.
RDU is my home airport and I see rapid growth in flights to international destinations every day. In 2025, airlines will provide 62% of seats to cities outside the U.S., according to aviation analytics company Cirium.
In recent years, airport revenue services have been obtained from many new international airlines, including Air France, Lufthansa, Copa Airlines and Aerome tocixo.
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American Airlines continues to provide daily flights from Boeing 777 to London. Low-cost Avelo Airlines recently launched its Caribbean service from RDU.
Aer Lingus Bolsters’ existing US routes
In addition to adding new North Carolina services, Aer Lingus will also fly weekly on several routes in the United States.
- Services from Indianapolis International Airport (Indiana) and Nashville International Airport (BNA) to Dublin will be held five times a week in the summer of 2026, up from four times a week in 2024.
- Flights from Orlando International Airport (MCO) to Dublin will run daily next summer.
- Uninterrupted services from Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) to Shannon, Ireland will be operated 10 times a week during peak summers.
All in all, Aer Lingus said its summer 2026 schedule will be the largest ever on the Atlantic Ocean.
That was when American Airlines set off in 2025, which was 36% higher than the 2019 reservation rate.
Book Aer Lingus with a little and mileage
If you want to fly Aer Lingus to Ireland with points and miles, there are plenty of options – even if you don’t currently have a reward currency with a carrier.
You can transfer American Express membership bonus points, Chase Ultimate bonus points and Bilt Rewards points directly to Aer Lingus Aerclub.
It is also important to note: the airline shares the same Avios reward currency with British Airways, Iberia, Qatar Airways and Fennar (and others). If you own Avios from any of these airlines, there is a new tool that will help you transfer these Avios to Aer Lingus.
To the same purpose: If you are a Capital One Canddolder, you can transfer your mileage to the British Airways Club and then transfer these Avios to Aer Lingus.
Citi Thanks for your reward members for doing the same through Qatar.
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