Dublin. Credit: Shutterstock Busy 2026 summer for Aer Lingus. The Irish flag carrier, Aer Lingus, announced its busiest transatlantic summer schedule in history for 2026, as a direct response to the growing demand and new market opportunities on the horizon. The 1936-founded airline will also launch a new direct service from Dublin to Raleigh-Durham International Airport, North Carolina, in 2026.
The 10 new routes added to the transatlantic network in the last four years will be joined by three daily flights from Dublin (late evening departure) to New York JFK and Boston (late-night departures).
Plus, the recently launched services from Dublin to Nashville and Indianapolis will see an increase in frequency from four weekly flights to five next summer, while the Dublin to Orlando route will feature daily flights.
Shannon to Boston services will also see a significant increase in frequencies, from three/week to 10/week.
The long-haul network will also incorporate a new route from Dublin to Raleigh-Durham International Airport, North Carolina, starting April 2026. This will carry the total number of routes operated to North America to 26, outlining the company’s Dublin Hub strategy to turn into the main gateway between North America, Ireland, the UK, and Europe.
Tying Raleigh and Durham to Ireland for the first time, the new year-round service will also cater to the people of North Carolina, a state with a population of more than 11 million, operating up to five times a week on the new Airbus A321 XLR aircraft.
Michael Landguth, Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority’s president and chief executive officer, described Dublin as “a high-demand international destination for travelers from the Research Triangle region” while explaining the flight “will provide a quick and convenient journey to Ireland and beyond for tourism, business, and educational opportunities.”
On a similar note, Aer Lingus chief executive officer Lynne Embleton expressed excitement for adding Raleigh-Durham International Airport to their network.
“It’s a vibrant and thriving region with well-established links to Ireland, that will be further strengthened with our new direct service.”, Embleton added.
The 4-star airline, as rated by Skytrax, plans to increase frequency to other popular destinations, including Nashville and Indianapolis, which it launched a few months ago, and work out better flight schedules to well-established cities like Boston, New York, and Orlando.”