New daily London Heathrow service at Ireland West Airport

Ireland West Airport has welcomed the major announcement by Aer Lingus of a new year-round, daily service to London Heathrow Airport.

Starting March 26, Aer Lingus will operate daily flights to London Heathrow, London’s biggest and most well connected and closest airport to central London, serviced by the Heathrow Express train with a journey time of just 15 minutes to Paddington Station in Central London.

This new service will provide a major boost for the airport and the region as it is the first time in the airports 37-year history that the airport will be connected to one of Europe’s major international airport hubs.

As well as providing a daily service to Heathrow, this connectivity means customers can enjoy seamless connections via London Heathrow Airport to North America. 
The new route will boost inbound tourism to the West of Ireland.

Aer Lingus aims to take advantage of the growing trend of screen tourism, which Tourism Ireland has identified as a key opportunity for 2023, with films like the Banshees of Inisherin showcasing the West of Ireland to a global audience.

The announcement also reinforces Aer Lingus’s commitment to Ireland West Airport Knock.
The new route will replace the current Aer Lingus service to London Gatwick, which will cease operations on March 25, 2023. Customers already booked on this route will be automatically rebooked on a same day flight.

The times of the flights to and from London Heathrow Airport are (please note this is subject to change and confirmation)
- Depart London Heathrow Airport at 11:05am arriving at Ireland West Airport at 12:35
- Depart Ireland West Airport at 13:05, arriving at London Heathrow Airport at 14:30
Welcoming the news, Joe Gilmore, Managing Director, Ireland West Airport said, “The airport is absolutely delighted to welcome the announcement of a new daily service to London Heathrow with Aer Lingus.

“This is a major development for the West and Northwest regions as it opens up key onward connectivity, through one of Europe’s biggest hubs, to over 80 destinations worldwide.
“The hub status of Heathrow for business and leisure passengers to connect with the global marketplace is a potential game changer for this region, and from a tourism perspective the service will deliver a significant increase in tourism visits from all corners of the globe.
“In addition, through their code share partnerships, this new route will see the return of US services to the West, as it provides the option to book flights on the Aer Lingus website, from Ireland West Airport via Heathrow, to key North American destinations such as Boston, New York, Washington and Los Angeles as well as further onward connections with their code share partners such as British Airways, to a host of global destinations.”

A delighted Mr Gilmore concluded,
“I have no doubt this new service will attract strong support from the region and overseas and we thank Aer Lingus for their strong show of commitment to the airport and West of Ireland region.”