Shannon Airport welcomes United’s new daily service from Chicago as a “major boost”

United Airlines will operate daily, nonstop flights from Chicago's O'Hare Airport to Shannon from May 25, 2023, the airline said on Wednesday.

United says its Chicago - Shannon service will give "customers more options to explore some of the country's most scenic destinations including Limerick and Galway."

United will fly a Boeing 757-200 for its Chicago - Shannon route.

Shannon Airport notes that United's new daily Chicago service will be an addition to United's daily service to Newark/New Jersey from Shannon, which is set to return on April 8, 2023.

United is the only US carrier to offer direct flights to Shannon with its existing seasonal service from New York/Newark, and also offers direct flights to Dublin from Chicago, New York/Newark, and Washington Dulles. 

The United Airlines services to Chicago and Newark/New Jersey for 2023 are now on sale at United.com. To book holidays or city breaks from Shannon Airport visit FlyShannon.ie.

Shannon Airport said United's Chicago - Shannon route is a "major boost." 

✈️ NEW ROUTE NEWS ✈️

Introducing @United's latest route... Chicago! ?

Fly direct to Chicago for a stateside adventure with daily flights from Shannon starting from the 26th May 2023!

Read more about today's announcement: https://t.co/bw8aeTjNzN#shannonairport #makingiteasy pic.twitter.com/3IN9oqrOW9

— Shannon Airport (@ShannonAirport) October 12, 2022

United previously operated a Shannon - Chicago service from 2013 to 2017. At that time, the airline operated five times weekly. The 2023 service will see it expand to a seven-day-a-week service, bringing a welcome uplift for the regional economy, Shannon Airport noted.

Shannon Airport says that it is envisaged that the new Chicago route has the capacity to generate an additional 30,000 passengers through Shannon Airport next year, supporting the West of Ireland economy in terms of business connections and an increase in tourism numbers.

Mary Considine, CEO of The Shannon Airport Group, said on Wednesday: “Today’s announcement by United Airlines that they plan to expand their network at Shannon with a new daily service between Shannon Airport and its hub at Chicago O’Hare airport next year is fantastic news for our customers and for our staff at The Shannon Airport Group.

"Chicago is a really important US gateway and is a positive addition to the daily services we already offer from Shannon to New York, Boston, and Newark/New Jersey.

“Over the years, Shannon has performed strongly supporting the local economy with flights to and from North America, boosting tourism and benefitting the business community. Our aviation development team has been working hard over the last few years to secure the return of this popular service.

“United Airlines are a valued airline partner at Shannon. They began operating from our airport in 1998, and since then have carried over 2.2 million passengers.

“With our US preclearance facilities, passengers flying from Shannon can arrive in the US as domestic passengers, saving them considerable time. This, combined with our new security screening system will cut the journey time for passengers and delivers on our promise to make it easy for them.

“This announcement is proof that United Airlines sees further opportunities for growth at Shannon and we look forward to working closely with them on delivering those extra passengers,” said Considine.

Martina Coogan, United Country Sales Manager Ireland, said: “As the only US airline to offer direct flights from Shannon, we are excited to announce this further expansion of our route network from Ireland to the US.”

“We expect another busy summer for international travel in 2023 and are proud to build on our industry-leading global network to offer our customers in the west of Ireland even greater travel choice and the possibility to connect via our U.S. hubs to other destinations across the Americas,” said Coogan.