Tourism Ireland Celebrates Aer Lingus’ Lift

Tourism Ireland is welcoming Aer Lingus’ launch of its extensive new schedule for summer 2022.

In the summer of 2022, the carrier’s schedule includes 71 routes in total, including 16 transatlantic routes and it has confirmed that it will be operating 90% of its 2019 capacity by mid-summer 2022.

Commenting on the announcement, Niall Gibbons, chief executive of Tourism Ireland, observed: “Today’s announcement by Aer Lingus of its extensive new schedule for summer 2022 is excellent news and a significant milestone on the road to recovery for our sector.”

Gibbons continued: “As we restart tourism to Ireland from overseas after what has been a devastating time, this announcement of the restoration of many Aer Lingus routes is very much a vote of confidence in the future of our industry. As an island, the importance of convenient, direct, non-stop flights cannot be overstated, so these flights will be absolutely critical to delivery recovery in inbound tourism.” Tourism Ireland’s chief executive pointed out: “We already work very closely with Aer Lingus and we look forward to co-operating with them to maximize the promotion of their services and drive demand for these flights in 2022. Every destination across the globe has experienced the impact of COVID-19 and is now seeking its share of the recovery.”

Gibbons added: “We particularly welcome the restoration of connectivity from Canada, as well as the 2 million seats on sale for summer 2022 from the all-important US market to both Dublin and Shannon Airports. We also welcome the extensive connectivity from Mainland Europe and Great Britain.”

And Gibbons concluded: “Our message – and that of the entire Irish tourism industry – is very simple: we cannot wait to roll out the green carpet and welcome back visitors from around the world. Together with our industry partners, including Aer Lingus, we will undertake our most extensive marketing campaign ever in 2022.”