Aer Lingus has launched its inaugural service between Dublin and Pittsburgh, marking the airline’s first-ever route to the Pennsylvania city and expanding its transatlantic network to 24 North American destinations from Ireland.
The new four-times-weekly service strengthens the carrier’s Dublin hub strategy, offering onward connectivity between North America, Ireland, the UK and mainland Europe. UK passengers can connect to the new Pittsburgh flights via Dublin from 12 regional airports, including Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Leeds Bradford, Newcastle, Southampton, Liverpool John Lennon, Exeter, the Isle of Man and London Heathrow.
Passengers travelling via Dublin will also benefit from the airport’s U.S. preclearance facility, allowing customers to complete immigration and customs checks before departure and arrive in the United States as domestic passengers.
The launch builds further on Aer Lingus’ growing relationship with Pittsburgh and American football franchise the Pittsburgh Steelers, of which the airline is an Official Airline Partner. In 2025, Aer Lingus transported the Steelers to Dublin for their sold-out game at Croke Park, while the airline will also support the 2027 Aer Lingus College Football Classic featuring the Pitt Panthers and Wisconsin Badgers in Dublin.
To celebrate the inaugural service, Aer Lingus illuminated Pittsburgh’s famous Three Sisters Bridges in green, white and orange, creating what the airline described as a symbolic “Bridge to Ireland”.
Known as the “City of Bridges”, Pittsburgh offers more than 446 bridges across the city, alongside attractions including the Andy Warhol Museum, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens and the Senator John Heinz History Centre. Visitors can also enjoy views across the skyline from Mount Washington via the historic Duquesne Incline.
The route will be operated using the long-range Airbus A321neo, enabling seamless onward connections from Dublin to destinations including Manchester, London, Paris, Rome, Geneva and Amsterdam.
Reid Moody, Chief Strategy & Planning Officer at Aer Lingus, said: “Our new service to Pittsburgh brings Aer Lingus’ North American network to 24 routes from Ireland. This route strengthens our Dublin Hub and provides seamless connections between North America, Ireland, the UK and Europe, while supporting tourism, business and cultural links between Ireland and Pennsylvania.
“Building on our partnership with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and with Pitt Panthers playing in the 2027 Aer Lingus College Football Classic, this service further builds on our ties to the region and our long-standing connection with Pittsburgh.”
Christina Cassotis, CEO of Pittsburgh International Airport, added: “The Pittsburgh region’s connections to Ireland run deep – both in today’s strong business market and in ancestral ties.
“We are thrilled to have a strong partner in Aer Lingus that will serve Pittsburgh’s growing market to Ireland and beyond, and we look forward to welcoming even more European travellers to Pittsburgh.”
Dan Rooney, Vice President of Business Development and Strategy for the Pittsburgh Steelers, said the route would act as “an important bridge between Dublin and Pittsburgh”, helping to strengthen tourism, business and sporting ties between the two regions.