Ireland’s Aer Lingus is to connect Dublin with Cleveland in Ohio during the summer 2023 season, becoming the sole nonstop route between Europe and the US city.
Flights from Dublin (DUB) to Cleveland Hopkins International (CLE) will start on May 19, 2023, operating four times per week using Airbus A321LR aircraft. The service will become the International Airlines Group carrier’s 15th transatlantic route from Ireland.
“This is a significant announcement for Aer Lingus as we deliver on our ambition to grow our transatlantic network,” Aer Lingus chief strategy and planning officer Reid Moody said.
He added that passengers flying into Dublin would be able to connect to 20 points on Aer Lingus’ network in Europe, including Amsterdam (AMS), Manchester (MAN) and Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG).
Once launched, the DUB-CLE route will become Cleveland’s first nonstop connection to Europe in more than four years. OAG Schedules Analyser data shows that both Icelandair and the now-defunct WOW Air each operated flights from Reykjavik Keflavik (KEF) between May and October 2018.
Prior to that, Continental served the London market from Cleveland, flying to London Gatwick (LGW) until August 2008, before switching to London Heathrow (LHR) in 2009. It also offered a direct link to Paris during the summer 2008 season.
According to figures provided by Sabre Market Intelligence, Dublin was the fourth largest Cleveland-Europe market in 2019 after London, Paris and Rome. O&D traffic between Cleveland and Dublin totaled 14,340 two-way passengers during the year. This compares with 40,636 to London, 16,718 to Paris and 14,646 to Rome.
It has been reported that Aer Lingus will receive an incentive package that includes a $600,000 grant over a three-year period for maintaining the service. A partnership comprising Jobs Ohio, the City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Greater Cleveland Partnership, Team NEO, and Destination Cleveland will provide a further $2.4 million.
Speaking at a press conference to announce the new DUB-CLE route, the lieutenant governor of Ohio Jon A. Husted said: “With connections to 103 destinations in 20 countries, Dublin Airport allows businesses and leisure travelers from the Greater Cleveland area and northeast Ohio region to reach transatlantic destinations with greater ease and fewer stops along the journey.
“The initial projections are that this will have an $85 million economic impact during the first three years of the commitment.”
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