Aer Lingus has announced a new connecting route from Manchester to the US, set to launch next year. Those travelling from Manchester Airport will soon be able to explore even more of the United States of America as Aer Lingus is introducing a new flight to Raleigh-Durham International Airport, North Carolina.
The service will connect the cities of Raleigh and Durham directly to Ireland for the first time and serve the wider State of North Carolina, with its population of over 11 million.
Aer Lingus’ largest-ever transatlantic summer schedule
The new route, alongside additional capacity to many existing routes, forms part of the airline’s largest-ever transatlantic summer schedule for 2026. Next summer, Aer Lingus will also introduce its third daily flight from Dublin to both New York JFK and Boston.
Aer Lingus’ popular new routes from Dublin to Nashville and Indianapolis, which launched earlier this year, will both see frequency increased from four weekly flights to five next summer, and Dublin to Orlando will increase to daily flights in the peak summer season. Aer Lingus services from Shannon to Boston will also increase by three weekly flights to ten in peak summer.
From Manchester Airport, Aer Lingus also offers direct routes to New York and Orlando, as well as Barbados in the Caribbean.
Next stop, North Carolina – the new Aer Lingus route from Manchester
The new connecting route from Manchester to Raleigh-Durham International Airport, North Carolina, via Dublin will take off from April 2026, bringing the total number of routes Aer Lingus operates to North America to 26. Travellers connecting via Dublin can utilise the U.S. Preclearance at Dublin Airport before their flight, allowing them to arrive in the U.S. as domestic passengers, bypass lengthy lines at their U.S. destination, and get to their final destination more quickly.
The state of North Carolina is known for its natural beauty, such as the Blue Ridge Mountains, which are perfect for hiking, and the Outer Banks, home to a series of barrier islands and beautiful beaches. Raleigh, the capital of North Carolina, is often referred to as “The City of Oaks” due to its tree-lined streets, as well as the “Smithsonian of the South”, because of its free museums and arts and culture scene.
Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill form the Research Triangle due to the number of major research universities and the large, innovative Research Triangle Park (RTP), a hub for tech, biotech, and health companies. Also, fun fact, the popular TV series The Summer I Turned Pretty was filmed in Wilmington, North Carolina (a two-hour drive from Raleigh-Durham Airport), in addition to the University of North Carolina.
Flight frequency and cost
The new Raleigh-Durham route will operate five times per week on Aer Lingus’ new Airbus A321 XLR aircraft, reducing to four times per week in winter.
The Aer Lingus flights from Manchester to North Carolina will operate on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. Fares start from €299 each way, including taxes and charges.
