Aer Lingus Launches First-Ever Direct Flight Between Dublin and North Carolina

New route connects Ireland to the Research Triangle region, home to top universities and innovation hubs.

Apr. 14, 2026 at 9:00pm

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A bold, geometric illustration in the Art Deco style, featuring a towering, streamlined airport terminal or aircraft silhouetted against a vibrant gradient sky, capturing the grand scale and romance of international air travel without any literal depictions of people or text.Aer Lingus' new direct flight to North Carolina's Research Triangle region promises to strengthen business and academic ties between Ireland and this dynamic innovation hub.Today in Raleigh

Aer Lingus has launched its inaugural nonstop service between Dublin and Raleigh-Durham International Airport, marking the first-ever direct flight between Ireland and North Carolina. The new route, operating up to five times weekly on Aer Lingus' Airbus A321XLR aircraft, will strengthen ties between Ireland and the dynamic Research Triangle region, home to major universities and leading tech and biotech companies.

Why it matters

The new Aer Lingus route provides a crucial direct connection between Ireland and the Research Triangle, a hub of innovation, research, and higher education in North Carolina. This improved connectivity will foster greater business and academic collaboration between the two regions, while also opening up new travel opportunities for leisure passengers.

The details

The new Dublin-Raleigh-Durham service operates up to five times weekly, with flight EI85 departing Dublin at 3:25 PM and arriving in Raleigh-Durham at 6:55 PM, and the return flight EI84 leaving Raleigh-Durham at 8:25 PM and landing in Dublin at 8:45 AM the next day. The 3,601-mile flight is blocked at 8 hours 30 minutes westbound and 7 hours 20 minutes eastbound. The Airbus A321XLR features 184 seats, including 16 business class and 168 economy class.

  • The inaugural flight EI85 departed Dublin on April 13, 2026.
  • The new route will serve fans traveling from North Carolina to the 2026 Aer Lingus College Football Classic at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin this August.

The players

Aer Lingus

An Irish airline and a subsidiary of International Airlines Group (IAG).

Research Triangle

A region in North Carolina that includes the cities of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, known as a hub for innovation, research, and higher education.

Research Triangle Regional Partnership

An organization that works to drive investment and build relationships between Ireland and North Carolina.

Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority Board

The governing body responsible for the Raleigh-Durham International Airport.

Lynne Embleton

CEO of Aer Lingus.

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What they’re saying

“Our new route creates a direct connection between Ireland and the Raleigh-Durham region for the first time, making it even easier for customers to travel to Dublin and onwards to destinations across the UK and Europe. The Raleigh-Durham region is a hub for technology, innovation and research, and this additional connectivity to that region will allow the business and educational ties on both sides of the Atlantic to flourish.”

— Lynne Embleton, CEO, Aer Lingus

“Dublin is one of the most sought-after international destinations for Research Triangle-area travelers, and the nonstop Aer Lingus service makes for a quick and convenient journey. RDU is proud to welcome an exciting new route that connects our community to new adventures and business opportunities in Ireland and beyond.”

— Tammie Hall-Roberts, Chair, Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority Board

“They've got something like over 1,700 multinational companies located there. They've got one of the lowest corporate tax rates. And so a lot of companies choose to be in Ireland. And so having direct access to a market, that's one of the most important things. We continue to work to build relationships and drive investment from Ireland to North Carolina. And so having a flight like the Aer Lingus flight is going to open a lot of doors for us with that direct connectivity.”

— Ryan Combs, Executive Director, Research Triangle Regional Partnership

What’s next

Next month, Aer Lingus will add a new service to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, bringing the total number of direct routes between Ireland and North America to 24 for 2026.

The takeaway

The new Aer Lingus route connecting Dublin and Raleigh-Durham represents a significant milestone in strengthening the ties between Ireland and the dynamic Research Triangle region of North Carolina, opening up new opportunities for business, education, and leisure travel between the two regions.