A Dublin flight on the horizon for Pittsburgh?
Website says Aer Lingus to add nonstop service
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Erin go Bragh — or at least nonstop?
Travel Extra, which bills itself as Ireland’s premier source of travel information, is reporting on its website that Aer Lingus will announce a new flight between Pittsburgh and Dublin on Wednesday.
It’s the second publication to speculate that Pittsburgh has a shot at the nonstop flight. Citing sources, The Irish Times newspaper reported earlier this summer that Pittsburgh and Montreal, along with a possible Midwest destination, were on a short list of candidates for the flight.
The newspaper stated at the time that Aer Lingus, one of Ireland’s top airlines, and its CEO Stephen Kavanagh planned to announce two new North American destinations.
Travel Extra reported Sunday that Pittsburgh and Montreal will
get the flights. It did not attribute the source of the information.
Aer Lingus officials could not be reached for comment. Bob Kerlik, spokesman for the Allegheny County Airport Authority, which operates Pittsburgh International, declined comment.
The authority, as of this time, has not scheduled a news conference for Wednesday.
Christina Cassotis, the authority’s CEO, said in January that a Dublin flight was a “very serious contender” and that Aer Lingus was one of the airlines that airport was talking to about possible transatlantic service.
Should it come to pass, Aer Lingus would be the second major airline to commit to new transatlantic service from Pittsburgh this summer.
In July, British Airways announced that it will fly nonstop between Pittsburgh and London’s Heathrow Airport four days a week starting April 2.
Aer Lingus also would join Condor Airlines, which operates seasonal flights to Frankfurt, Germany, and Wow Air, which flies to Iceland, as the airport’s other transatlantic carriers.
Until last week, Delta also flew a seasonal nonstop to Charles de Gaulle International Airport in France. But faced with competition from the other transatlantic carriers and other commercial considerations, it decided to end that service for good Sept. 3 after a 10-year run. Mark Belko: mbelko@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1262.