Over 200 new jobs as USA routes open

OVER 200 jobs for pilots, cabin crew and ground staff will be created as Aer Lingus launches three new US routes from next year, it was announced last week.

In the largest single expansion of its transatlantic network, Aer Lingus will operate direct flights from Dublin to Los Angeles from May 2016 with five services per week.

Direct daily year-round flights will start in early September from Dublin to Newark in New Jersey. And a third new route will start in late September with a daily service from Dublin to Hartford, Connecticut.

The Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Alex White, said the announcement was the first evidence that the merger of Aer Lingus with IAG would improve Ireland’s connectivity and boost employment.

“It means that we can look forward to the biggest single expansion of the transatlantic network in the history of Aer Lingus, which is a huge vote of confidence in the company and its future,” he said. “We will see the creation of over 200 high-quality jobs in the company, and many more jobs will also be secured and created by the increased visitor numbers that come with an expansion of this scale. 

“This also bodes well for Ireland’s sustainable, jobs-led recovery, which is seeing continued employment growth across the economy and in every part of the country.” 

The Dublin Chamber of Commerce said that the new routes will help join crucial dots in Ireland’s connectivity and open up new opportunities for business between Dublin and key cities such as Boston, New York and Los Angeles.

Dublin Chamber CEO Gina Quin said: “This is yet another positive sign of the recovery in international air passenger traffic and shows how Dublin Airport is developing as a European hub with global access.

“Dublin Airport is not only fundamental to the Irish tourism sector, it also is the means by which business travellers can access their international headquarters and customers and suppliers with relative ease.”

The chamber said that the new routes were a validation of the Dublin Airport Authority’s strategy of making Dublin an international hub for air travel.

Ms Quin added: “Dublin Airport has the capacity to take on a number of new routes. A well-connected Dublin Airport is fundamental to a buoyant tourism sector.”

Dublin Airport Managing Director, Vincent Harrison, said he was delighted to see Aer Lingus add three new services to its network from Dublin Airport.

“These three new transatlantic routes mean that Aer Lingus has added six new transatlantic destinations from Dublin since 2014,” he said. “We are pleased that Aer Lingus will fly three new transatlantic routes from Dublin Airport next summer offering additional choice for both business and leisure passengers.

“We have been growing our transatlantic traffic strongly at Dublin Airport.  Passenger numbers on transatlantic destinations grew by 42 per cent between 2010 and 2014, and we’re seeing strong double-digit growth again this year,” Mr Harrison added.

Last year, Dublin Airport welcomed a record 2.1 million transatlantic passengers which was a 14 per cent increase on the previous 12 months.   So far this year, transatlantic traffic is up a further 17 per cent.

Dublin Airport had 328 flights per week to/from transatlantic routes during the peak summer months with 10 airlines flying to 15 transatlantic destinations, 11 in the US and four in Canada.

“Dublin Airport was Europe’s fastest growing airport for long-haul traffic this summer,” according to Mr Harrison. “Significant growth in transatlantic connectivity has been a major factor in the growing number of passengers who are choosing to hub at Dublin.”