February 17, 2011
By Staff Reporter
However, some industry insiders believe the new routes will only be introduced once the Shannon stopover rule, which demands that one of every two flights between Ireland and the U.S. must touch down at Shannon Airport, is abandoned.
Aer Lingus, which is expected to undergo a partial privatization at some point next year, has had mixed fortunes with new U.S. routes in the recent past. Though its services to New York, Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles are well established, its direct route to Orlando will be discontinued in January next year. An attempt to develop a profitable direct service between Dublin and Washington D.C. was also ultimately abandoned.
The speculation about new American routes has been given new life by the airline’s recent announcement of its first non-U.S. long haul route.
In March next year, Aer Lingus will begin a direct service between Dublin and Dubai. The airline can afford to do this without buying or leasing any new aircraft, since the planes freed up from the ending of the Orlando service will be put into use on the new route to the United Arab Emirates city.
At first, the service will operate three times per week. Tickets for the 8-hour flight will be priced at