New Route of the Day – Americas (25 May 2026): Aer Lingus between Dublin and Pittsburgh
Aer Lingus introduced flights between Dublin and Pittsburgh on Monday 25 May. The 5,545-kilometre route will be maintained 4-weekly, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sunday, with the A321XLR aircraft. The Irish flag carrier faces no competition on the route.
Flight EI81 departs Dublin at 15:40 local time, arriving in Pittsburgh at 18:40 local time. The return service, operating as flight EI80, takes off at 20:10 local time, touching back down in the Irish capital at 08:10 local time the following morning.
What they said
Reid Moody, Chief Strategy & Planning Officer at Aer Lingus, said: “Our new service to Pittsburgh brings Aer Lingus’ North American network to 24 routes from Ireland. This route strengthens our Dublin Hub and provides seamless connections between North America, Ireland, the UK and Europe, while supporting tourism, business and cultural links between Ireland and Pennsylvania. Building on our partnership with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and with Pitt Panthers playing in the 2027 Aer Lingus College Football Classic, this service further builds on our ties to the region and our long-standing connection with Pittsburgh.”
Christina Cassotis, CEO at Pittsburgh International Airport, added: “The Pittsburgh region’s connections to Ireland run deep – both in today’s strong business market and in ancestral ties. This is a route that community leaders have been seeking and the strong support we have received from the region since the flight’s announcement show its importance. We are thrilled to have a strong partner in Aer Lingus that will serve Pittsburgh’s growing market to Ireland and beyond, and we look forward to welcoming even more European travellers to Pittsburgh.”
Aer Lingus with 94 routes from Dublin
Aer Lingus will have 94 routes from Dublin in Q3. A considerable 65 of them will have head-to-head competition with at least one other airline, especially Ryanair (47 routes).
Some 74 of Aer Lingus’ destinations are in Europe, 19 are in North America and one is in Africa. 19 of its European airports are exclusively or partly flown by Emerald’s ATR 72s under the Aer Lingus Regional banner.
Schedule analysis for Q3 in the past 22 years shows that it has not previously served more than 71 airports in Europe, with that number last available in 2017. Its prior record to North America was 17 destinations, which it reached in Q3 2025. A321LRs/XLRs have been critical to Aer Lingus’ transatlantic development.
