By Barry Coughlan
United Airlines and Shannon Airport have had reason to celebrate after marking the 25th anniversary of the airline’s nonstop service between Ireland and New York/Newark.
The airline has already celebrated a passenger traffic milestone, carrying more than two million people on 14,000 services on the route.
Today, United operates daily non-stop seasonal services from Shannon to its hubs at New York/Newark, and since 26 May 2023, Chicago O’Hare. United is the only US airline to offer direct flights from Shannon to the United States.
Marking the anniversary, Mary Considine, CEO of the Shannon Airport Group said: “On behalf of the Shannon Airport Group, we extend our warmest congratulations to United Airlines on celebrating 25 years of operating US services from Shannon Airport. This is a very important milestone as it marks United Airlines providing many years of transatlantic connectivity that support tourism and industry in this region.
“This anniversary celebration reflects the strength of our long-standing partnership with United. We are very proud that together we are providing our loyal passengers with key services to New York/Newark and Chicago, which launched last month and operates daily for the summer season.
“These services offer a gateway directly into the Wild Atlantic Way for our transatlantic visitors. We look forward to continuing our successful collaboration and to celebrating many more years with United and our passengers.”
Meanwhile, Martina Coogan, Head of Corporate Sales UK and Ireland, United, highlighted the enthusiasm with which the airline marked the occasion.
“For a quarter of a century now, United has connected Shannon with the United States, offering our customers non-stop connections to the New York metropolis and the US East Coast, as well as an unrivalled network of onward connections from our New York/Newark hub to over 60 destinations across the Americas.
“This milestone anniversary, as well as the recent launch of our seasonal service between Shannon and Chicago, demonstrates our ongoing commitment to this important region and to offering greater travel choice for travelers in the west of Ireland.”
Meanwhile, national airline Aer Lingus has given the green light to introduce a new Shannon-Paris service from September.
The service will operate to the world-renowned international hub of Charles de Gaulle.
Bookings can now be made for the service which will operate twice weekly from September 22 to January 7. There will be a short break then but it will be reintroduced again on March 14 and operate to October 29, 2024.
Passengers will fly on an Airbus A321neoLR, Aer Lingus’ most sustainable aircraft delivering up to 20% reduction in fuel burn and CO2 emissions and close to 50% reduction in noise footprint when compared to previous generation aircraft.
The A321neo LR also operates Aer Lingus’ transatlantic services from Shannon direct to both New York JFK and Boston.
Boasting 184 seats including 16 fully lie-flat seats, customers have the option to experience Aer Lingus’ premium seating which is part of its business class offering when flying to North America.
The airline’s Chief Executive, Lynne Embleton made the announcement and said: “We are delighted to announce the launch of the route with Shannon Airport, and are very much looking forward to welcoming thousands of passengers from the region onboard as they travel to one of the most popular European city destinations on the Aer Lingus network.
“We expect it to be a high-demand route for passengers in the region, whether they are traveling for leisure, business or major sporting events, as is the case this autumn with Ireland competing in the Rugby World Cup.
“We will be flying passengers from Shannon to Paris on our next-generation aircraft, the Airbus A321neo LR, which is one of our most sustainable aircraft in terms of fuel burn and CO2 emissions. This A321neo LR also operates our Boston and JFK services from Shannon and we have timed our schedule to offer those customers arriving from Paris the option to connect onwards to JFK through Shannon Airport.”
Shannon CEO Mary Considine was equally pleased with the development, saying: “Aer Lingus is a valued airline partner and we worked closely with them to secure this new service to Charles de Gaulle from Shannon, further demonstrating our commitment to expanding our European route network.
“This new service will be a major boost for Shannon, and we know it will be an extremely popular destination for leisure and business travelers. The service will be timed to allow for passengers traveling from Paris to connect onwards from Shannon to New York JFK and Boston with Aer Lingus.
“We look forward to seeing passengers from across the region and beyond availing of this new route, and we would welcome their continued support as ambassadors for our Shannon air services.
“The more people using our services, the more confidence it will give airlines to look at expansion, which result in days like today.”
The launch of this service is a good time for Rugby World Cup fans who will have easy access from Shannon to Paris for the competition. Paris, the City of Light, boasts iconic attractions that captivate visitors worldwide. The Eiffel Tower’s majestic silhouette, Notre-Dame Cathedral’s Gothic grandeur, and the Louvre Museum’s artistic treasures are timeless marvels.
The Champs-Élysées’ glamor, Montmartre’s artistic charm, and Disneyland Paris’ enchanting theme park create unforgettable experiences for all who wander through this vibrant city.
This is the first time in 12 years that Shannon will provide a service to Charles de Gaulle, one of Europe’s busiest airports serving 119 countries worldwide.
To book the new Aer Lingus service from Shannon to Paris visit www.aerlingus.com. Fares start from $44 one-way including taxes and charges.
For more information on Shannon Airport’s 35 destinations in 11 countries on offer this year visit www.shannonairport.ie.