AER LINGUS has launched a new route connecting Ireland and North Carolina for the first time.
The Dublin to Raleigh-Durham service enjoyed its inaugural flight this month and will continue to operate up to five times weekly on Aer Lingus’ new Airbus A321XLR aircraft.
“Our new route creates a direct connection between Ireland and the Raleigh-Durham region for the first time, making it even easier for customers to travel to Dublin and onwards to destinations across the UK and Europe,” Lynne Embleton, Chief Executive Officer at Aer Lingus, said this week.
The inaugural flight from Dublin to Raleigh-Durham took place this month“The Raleigh-Durham region is a hub for technology, innovation and research, and this additional connectivity to that region will allow the business and educational ties on both sides of the Atlantic to flourish,” she added.
The timing of the new route launch is set to benefit residents in Ireland and the US – with the service increasing accessibility to North Carolina’s Research Triangle - which includes Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill.
“The innovation hub is home to Research Triangle Park (RTP), one of the largest research parks in the world, which houses hundreds of tech and biotech companies,” an Aer Lingus spokesperson explained.
“The region is also home to top universities such as North Carolina State University (Raleigh), Duke University (Durham) and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, making it a hub for innovation, research and higher education,” they added.
The new service is also perfectly poised to serve fans from the University of North Carolina (UNC) travelling to the 2026 Aer Lingus College Football Classic in the Aviva Stadium, Dublin, this August.
“UNC will take on Texas Christian University (TCU) in the opening weekend of the NCAA college football season in what will be the international debut for both teams,” the spokesperson explained.
In 2025, the Aer Lingus College Football Classic attracted almost 23,000 visitors from the US to Ireland.
“Launching ahead of the 2026 Aer Lingus College Football Classic makes this service especially timely, and we’re really looking forward to welcoming UNC fans to Ireland this August as the Tar Heels take to the field at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin,” Ms Hambleton added.
Next month, Aer Lingus will launch a new service to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, bringing the airline’s total number of routes from Ireland to North America to 24.
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