16 | UPDATES


Dublin Airport Gears Up for Busy Summer Season with 2% Passenger Increase


DEMAND to fly in and out of Ireland continues to grow, with Dublin Airport set to welcome around 11 million passengers over the upcoming busy summer months; this is around 2% more than travelled last summer.


Through the peak summer months of


June, July and August, Dublin Airport is expecting more than 3.5 million passengers each month, ranging from sunseekers to business travellers and many thousands of tourists and visitors coming to visit all 32 counties on the Island of Ireland. The airport expects more than 100,000 passengers to travel through the airport every day between the start of June and the end of August, with the airport’s previous record busiest day (130,427 passengers on August 10th, 2025) almost certain to be eclipsed.


Dublin Airport’s schedule this summer features a number of new additions, including European destinations such as Oslo in Norway and Asturias in Spain, and North American options such as Pittsburgh and Raleigh-Durham in North Carolina. Existing North American routes are growing also, with Aer Lingus increasing the frequency of its Indianapolis and Nashville services, while Delta is now flying daily to Detroit (up from 4x weekly last summer). Due to demand, Aer Lingus has also added additional late in the day flights to both JFK in New York and Boston. According to Dublin Airport Managing Director Gary McLean: “It’s going to be another very busy summer


at Dublin Airport with the appetite to fly, both into and out of Ireland, as high as ever. “We’re keen to remind passengers that


the 100ml limit on liquids has now been removed at Dublin Airport, following the completion last year of the rollout of new


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C3 scanners in both terminals. Many people will be using these scanners for the first time this summer so it is important to be aware of the changed rules which mean individual containers of up to 2 litres can be carried in hand luggage,” said McLean.


June 2026


Aer Lingus New Route to Pittsburgh Takes off From Dublin Airport


easyJet Announces New Route From Belfast! Glasgow,


EASYJET has announced the launch of a new winter route from Belfast City Airport. Flights will take off for


the first time to London Southend Airport on 25th October 2026 and will operate three times a week on Mondays, Fridays, and Sundays.


The new route joins easyJet’s existing domestic network from Belfast City Airport,


which includes


services to Bristol, Edinburgh,


Liverpool, London Gatwick, London Luton, Manchester,


and strengthening


its UK network and offering customers more choice when travelling between Northern Ireland, Essex, and the wider South East,


whether for


business or leisure. Kevin Doyle, easyJet’s


UK Country Manager, said,


“We’re pleased to


be putting this new route and packages from Belfast City Airport to London Southend on sale,


providing


our customers in Northern Ireland with another convenient connection to London and the South East. “We are committed to offering customers greater choice and


exceptional


value,


always


aiming to make travel easy, and we look forward to welcoming more passengers onboard this winter.” Katy


Best, said,


Commercial Officer at Belfast City Airport,


Chief “The


addition of easyJet’s route from Belfast City Airport to Southend Airport will provide further choice and convenience for passengers, enhancing our connectivity with London, Essex, and the wider Southeast of England. “As we celebrate five years of partnership with easyJet in 2026, we are delighted to see it extend its network and reaffirm its long-term commitment to Belfast City Airport, where


passengers


benefit from an efficient and hassle-free travel experience at the heart of the city.”


AER Lingus celebrated the take off of its first flight from Dublin Airport to Pittsburgh.


The new route from Dublin to Pittsburgh will operate four times weekly and builds on Aer Lingus’


relationship with the


Pittsburgh Steelers. Aer Lingus lit the city’s Three Sisters Bridges on the Allegheny River in green, white and orange to celebrate. Reid Moody, Chief Strategy & Planning Officer, 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. Pittsburgh International Airport CEO Christina Cassotis said: “The Pittsburgh region’s connections to Ireland run deep – both in today’s strong business market and in ancestral ties. 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 travelers to Pittsburgh.”


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