Irish carrier Aer Lingus will become the fifth international long-haul carrier to serve Raleigh–Durham International Airport (RDU). The route, which will commence on April 13, will offer a non-stop connection to the Irish capital, operating five times a week using the airline’s modern Airbus A321XLR. These services will complement American Airlines’ seasonal service from Charlotte to Dublin.

Passengers departing from Dublin Airport (DUB) will enjoy the airport’s US Customs & Border Protection Preclearance facility, which enables travelers to pass through US immigration before departing Irish soil and then touching down in Raleigh as domestic passengers. Only two airports in Europe currently have these facilities, the other being Shannon Airport (SNN).

Non-Stop Flights To The Research Triangle

Credit: Aer Lingus

Aer Lingus’ move to serve Raleigh comes as part of its largest-ever trans-Atlantic schedule. The Irish flag carrier, owned by IAG, has significantly expanded its transatlantic network in recent years, in the last four years alone adding ten new routes to the continent. Additional capacity, along with new services, will see 2026 be its largest to North America alone.

Raleigh will become the airline’s 26th destination in North America and will connect Raleigh to Dublin for the first time. This route is expected to operate year-round and will operate on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. Kicking off next week, it will be just in time for the 2026 Aer Lingus College Football Classic, being hosted in Dublin at Aviva Stadium. This sporting event usually attracts more than 23,000 visitors to Ireland.

Credit: GCMap

High demand for travel to and from the ‘Research Triangle ‘ (the technological, research, and education hub between Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill) has lured Aer Lingus to choose RDU, and will provide not only simple non-stop itineraries to and from Ireland, but also into the carrier’s wider European network from Dublin. Aer Lingus will follow the schedule below:

Fifth Long-Haul Route To Serve Raleigh-Durham

Credit: RDU

Aer Lingus becomes the fifth long-haul carrier to serve Raleigh, following Air France, American Airlines, Icelandair, and Lufthansa, which all offer services to Europe. Up until 2015, American Airlines had been the only carrier to operate long-haul services from the airport, with a non-stop link to London Heathrow Airport (LHR). The following carriers are flying to RDU and their aircraft types are listed below:

Since then, three new airlines have commenced operations, with Icelandair the first to bring European flair to Raleigh-Durham with its non-stop link to Keflavik International Airport (KEF) once daily since 2022. Air France began flying to Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport (CDG) in 2023, while Lufthansa started flying to Raleigh in 2024, with a daily service to Frankfurt Airport (FRA).

Credit: GCMap

Delta Air Lines served Raleigh-Durham to Paris up until 2023, when its SkyTeam alliance partner took over on the route. At the peak of this North American summer season, there will be a total of up to five daily trans-Atlantic services taking off from Raleigh, with Air France, American Airlines, Icelandair, and Lufthansa all offering daily services, complemented by Aer Lingus and its five weekly flights to Dublin.

Related

Ireland To The Innovation Hub: New Aer Lingus A321XLR Route to Raleigh-Durham

This is the carrier’s fourth A321XLR route across the Atlantic, and its furthest destination so far with the type.

The Increase In Trans-Atlantic Services From Raleigh-Durham

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Using data from Cirium, an online aviation analytics company, it’s exciting to see the growth that Raleigh-Durham has experienced in recent years. Looking back at data since 2004, the airport back then would see just one daily service, with a total of 92 across the Northern Hemisphere summer season.

These numbers have continued to rise since 2016, as they increased to up to two daily ( London and Paris), and since 2023 have seen up to three daily trans-Atlantic flights. This year, a total of 416 non-stop transatlantic flights will depart from RDU across the summer, up 26% on last year, which recorded a total of 331 flights.

This summer, Raleigh-Durham will also welcome several new domestic routes with Alaska Airlines, Breeze Airways, and Spirit Airlines, all adding their own flair on new routes connecting all corners of the United States.