Tuesday 18 October 2005. Tourism Ireland has welcomed the announcement today by Delta Air Lines on its plans for a significant expansion of its transatlantic scheduled daily services into Ireland for 2006. The carrier will offer a new daily scheduled service out of New York's JFK Airport to Dublin and Shannon. The carrier will also add additional daily services out of Atlanta to Dublin and Shannon. The new services will more than double Delta's seat capacity in peak season, adding an approximate 110,000 extra seats in peak season.
When the expanded service schedule is in place next year, Delta Air Lines will operate a total of three daily flights from the U.S. to Ireland: one daily nonstop scheduled flight from Atlanta into Shannon and one daily nonstop scheduled flight from Atlanta into Dublin. The airline will also operate its new nonstop flight from JFK to Dublin, which will travel on to Shannon before returning to New York.
Welcoming the news, Tourism Minister, John O'Donoghue TD said: 'The announcement today by Delta Air Lines of its plans for a major expansion of its 2006 scheduled air service into Ireland is most welcome news for Ireland's tourism industry. It is particularly gratifying that a carrier with such long-standing and hands-on experience of transatlantic air services into these shores is expressing such confidence in Ireland as a travel destination. Indeed, the expansion being undertaken represents the biggest route service increases to any destination within the route network served by the airline.'
Paul O'Toole, Chief Executive, Tourism Ireland commented 'We are very pleased that Delta Air Lines has decided to extend its service into Ireland from the United States. The airline has been a valuable travel trade partner with Ireland's tourism industry for many years and their decision is based a substantial fund of knowledge about the quality of Ireland's destination product. Clearly, it is also a decision that results from an intensive review of the performance and potential of routes into Ireland for the airline' said O'Toole.
He added that the announcement was the latest expansion of services by a major North American airline in to the island of Ireland, indicating that there continues to be considerable growth potential in the transatlantic travel business into Ireland from the North America market. 'Increased access to the island of Ireland is a strategic priority for Tourism Ireland and one which we will continue to vigorously pursue in conjunction with airlines and airport authorities,' said O'Toole.
The New York (JFK) to Dublin/Shannon route is one that Delta Air Lines has served in the past and the expansion of its service into Ireland through the Atlanta gateway will see an additional aircraft dedicated to this route during 2006.
ENDS.
For further info contact Fiona Scott, Tourism Ireland, 01-476-3429
Note to Editors
When the expanded service schedule is in place next year, Delta Air Lines will operate a total of three daily flights from the U.S. to Ireland: one daily nonstop scheduled flight from Atlanta into Shannon and one daily nonstop scheduled flight from Atlanta into Dublin. The airline will also operate its new nonstop flight from JFK to Dublin, which will travel on to Shannon before returning to New York.