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Aer Lingus recently revealed that widespread cuts to the airline’s network might materialize. It was suggested that this could easily affect the airline’s fast-growing US operations. Now three routes will end: 
Dublin Airport (DUB) to 
Denver International Airport (DEN), 
Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), serving Las Vegas, and 
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP).
The choice of these three markets is unsurprising, as they had among the worst load factors. DUB and MSP were the Irish carrier’s two worst-performing US links, with barely six in ten seats filled. It was predictable that they would end. Aside from LAS, will any other transatlantic routes join them?
Aer Lingus Will End DUB-DEN Flights
As disclosed by Ishrion Aviation, the airline’s final DEN-bound service will lift off from DUB on September 28. Cirium Diio data shows that the long airport pair, which covers 3,817 nautical miles (7,069 km), was scheduled to end then in 2026 anyway. The difference is that flights won’t return next year.
Aer Lingus only recently began flying to DEN. The first flight was in May 2024, before which no scheduled services had ever existed between Ireland and Colorado. For obvious reasons, the link was always served on a summer-seasonal basis, and nearly always on the Airbus A330-200. While four-weekly departures were available in the first season, the frequency was increased to six-weekly services in the second season.
Unsurprisingly, the US Department of Transportation (DOT) shows that the capacity increase necessarily led to a big reduction in the route’s load factor. In 2024, it was 73.7%, but it fell to just 63.9% the following year. The additional available seats far outstripped the additional generated traffic, and it is possible that the fares and yields fell to achieve that passenger growth. In the 12 months to March 2026, just 64.1% of seats were filled.
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DUB-LAS Is Also Being Cut
This route is also comparatively new. Aer Lingus began flying to Sin City in October 2024, but, unlike DEN, it had always kept to a thrice-weekly offering. Served on a winter-only basis, the carrier will resume flights on October 2, with the A330-200 and A330-300 deployed.
While the route was to be flown until late April next year, it will now end on December 3. Is it worth coming back for just two months? The end date is not yet reflected in the airline’s booking engine, but this will happen soon. Passengers will be contacted in due course.
In the 12 months to March 2026, 33,448 passengers were transported but only 71.3% of the seats were filled. That was, of course, relatively low, even for what was still a pretty new link. It also says nothing of the fares and yields needed to achieve it. December 2025 was the worst month (59.8%), followed by January 2026 (62.8%) and November 2025 (69.3%).
Booking data shows that more passengers simply flew between DUB and LAS than connected to another flight in the Irish capital. This would usually be good, as local traffic is higher-yielding and less expensive than transfer traffic. However, it does not appear to have been sufficient to save the route, relative to what else the airline believes could be done with the freed-up A330.
Days | DUB To LAS; Local Times* | LAS To DUB; Local Times** |
|---|---|---|
Wednesdays, Fridays, Sundays | 2:50 PM-5:30 PM | 7:15 PM-1:15 PM+1 |
* In October 2026 | ** In October 2026 |
Then There’s DUB To MSP
This is the only route, of the three mentioned in this article, to see narrowbody equipment. The 184-seat A321XLR is flown from DUB to MSP on a year-round basis. In contrast, 
Delta Air Lines only serves MSP-DUB during the summer. Aer Lingus’ final flight will take place on October 24, which is the last day of the northern aviation summer based on IATA slot seasons. It will be fascinating to see if Delta returns in 2027.
Aer Lingus’ frequency to MSP sensibly varies. In 2026, five-weekly departures are available during the offseason, which rise to daily at key times. But the winter offering, in particular, was way too much. The route should have only been served during the summer.
Between April 2025 and March 2026, the DOT shows that Aer Lingus achieved loads of less than 50.0% in six of the months. This contributed greatly to the route being Aer Lingus’ worst to the US in terms of load factor. The worst month was February 2026, when just 30.0% (!) of seats were filled. That was Aer Lingus’ second-lowest US result from DUB that month, behind 
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (28.1%). Unsurprisingly, SEA will now become seasonal.
