Great news for New Englanders planning trips to Ireland! Earlier today at Dublin Airport, Aer Lingus flight EI131, a Boeing 757 aptly named St. Brendan (after the famous Irish explorer) took off, marking the inaugural flight from Dublin to Hartford, Connecticut.
As part of its transatlantic route expansion, Aer Lingus is now offering a year-round service from Dublin direct to Hartford’s Bradley Airport.
The route will be Bradley Airport’s first European link. Until now, the only international routes operating out of Bradley are to Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean.
This local report from 22 News speaks to the benefits the new flight will bring to the Hartford area.
The new Aer Lingus service not only creates a direct connection between Connecticut and Ireland, it further establishes Dublin as the natural transatlantic gateway to Europe for those travelling from North America. Via Dublin, North American travellers can avail of onward connections to 28 UK and European airports including London, Madrid, Barcelona, Edinburgh, Amsterdam, Paris, Bristol and Berlin, plus many more.
The Hartford launch is the third of three new Aer Lingus transatlantic routes to commence this year, marking the single largest expansion of Aer Lingus’ transatlantic network since the airline commenced transatlantic flying in 1958. A direct new service between Los Angeles and Dublin began in May and on September 1, a new daily service commenced between Newark, New Jersey and Dublin.
Fares from Dublin to Hartford start from $245 (€219) one way for travel between November 2016 and March 2017.
Aer Lingus is in the process of expanding its Dublin Airport base into a major European transatlantic gateway, citing U.S Customs and Border Protection services at Dublin as enhancing the continued growth of the airline’s Dublin operation as a connecting gateway. Three new transatlantic aircrafts have joined the Aer Lingus fleet this year and announced two new Airbus A330s will be delivered in 2017.
“We are delighted to commence a direct service between our Dublin gateway and Bradley International Airport, Hartford and to offer a convenient connecting service from major cities across Britain and Europe. Whether travelling for business or pleasure we aim to deliver the quality service and competitive prices that have earned us our Skytrax 4-Star airline status. I’d like to take the opportunity to thank all the state representatives, business and community leaders who have supported Aer Lingus to date and we look forward to making this route a success for all involved,” said Stephen Kavanagh, Aer Lingus’ Chief Executive Officer.
Vincent Harrison, Dublin Airport’s Managing Director, noted that the service “adds another North American destination to the airline's extensive Dublin Airport route network. Hartford is the sixth new transatlantic route that Aer Lingus has launched at Dublin over the past five years and we look forward to continuing to work closely with them to promote this new service."
Services available to customers on transatlantic flights include Pre-clearance U.S. immigration and customs at Dublin and Shannon airports, connections to onward destinations in the U.S. with airline partners, hi-speed internet access, an extensive in-flight entertainment selection, gourmet meals including premium economy options and award winning cabin service.
For more information and to book flights to Hartford, visit www.aerlingus.com
Comments