By Callum McCormack

Copyright glasgowworld

Aer Lingus has announced it will expand its long-haul network for 2026 as it introduces a new service through Dublin to Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina, next year. Glasgow Airport is one of 13 UK airports that passengers can choose to connect at Dublin. Passengers can also take advantage of US pre-clearance. Connections can all be made by Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Leeds Bradford, Newcastle, Southampton, Liverpool John Lennon, Isle of Man, Exeter, Cornwall Airport Newquay, and Heathrow. The year-round route will operate up to five times weekly on Aer Lingus from April 2026. It marks the first time the cities of Raleigh and Durham are directly connected to Ireland. Visitors to Raleigh can visit some of the state’s top attractions, such as the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, the North Carolina Museum of Art, Pullen Park, the State Farmers Market, and the Marbles Kids Museum. Michael Landguth, president and chief executive of the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority, said: “Dublin is a high-demand international destination for travellers from the Research Triangle region, and we are proud that Aer Lingus has chosen RDU for this nonstop service. The Aer Lingus flight will provide a quick and convenient journey to Ireland and beyond for tourism, business and educational opportunities.” The route continues Aer Lingus’ significant growth in the transatlantic network, with 10 new routes over the last four years. The airline has also added additional capacity for its existing routes. Commenting on Aer Lingus’ 2026 transatlantic expansion, Lynne Embleton, chief executive 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 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.”