By Liv Clarke
Copyright manchestereveningnews
Aer Lingus has announced a new connecting route from Manchester Airport to the US with flights starting next spring. The airline has expanded its transatlantic summer schedule for 2026 and will include a new service to Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina. Passengers connecting via Dublin can benefit from the US pre-clearance system, which means when they arrive in the US they can disembark like a domestic passenger, avoiding lengthy wait times on arrival. The North Carolina route will launch in April 2026, and brings the total number of routes Aer Lingus operates to in North America to 26. Other destinations it serves in the US from its Dublin hub include Nashville and Indianapolis. Never miss a story with the MEN’s daily Catch Up newsletter – get it in your inbox by signing up here From Manchester Airport , the airline also offers direct routes to New York and Orlando, as well as Barbados in the Caribbean. Passengers can fly to Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina from 12 other UK Airports: Birmingham, Bristol, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Leeds Bradford, Newcastle, Southampton, Liverpool John Lennon, Isle of Man, Exeter, Cornwall Airport Newquay, and Heathrow. The service will connect the cities of Raleigh and Durham directly to Ireland for the first time and serve the wider State of North Carolina, with its population of over 11 million. The state is known for its natural beauty and is popular with outdoor enthusiasts. The Blue Ridge Mountains are a popular spot with hikes, while the Outer Banks – a series of barrier islands – is home to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. The new Raleigh-Durham route will commence on April 13 2026, operating five times per week, reducing to four times per week in winter. Join the Manchester Evening News WhatsApp group HERE The flights will operate on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday. Fares start from €299 each way including taxes and charges. Lynne Embleton, CEO of Aer Lingus, added: “We’re delighted to be adding Raleigh-Durham International Airport to our growing North American network. It’s a vibrant and thriving region with well-established links to Ireland that will be further strengthened with our new direct service. “In addition to new this new route, our 2026 plans reflect another year of growth with increased frequency on our established network, and more choice for our customers. We’ll be serving 26 destinations across North America in 2026, reinforcing Aer Lingus as a popular choice for North Atlantic travel. “We’re planning more frequency to popular new destinations Nashville and Indianapolis which launched earlier this year, as well as strengthening our schedule to cities already well established on our network, such as New York, Boston and Orlando.” For more of today’s top stories, click here.
