Aer Lingus commits to Bradley International Airport through 2022
By Jim Kinney
WINDSOR LOCKS -- Irish airline Aer Lingus committed Thursday to continue its nonstop transatlantic service from Bradley international Airport through 2022.
Aer Lingus also agreed to a smaller revenue guarantee, according to a news release from Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy.
Northwest Airlines stopped flying from Bradley to Amsterdam in 2009. The region went without European service from 2009 to 2016.
In February, Connecticut paid provide Aer Lingus a $4.5 million revenue guarantee. The state paid the subsidy after the flights fell short of revenue goals.
The payment was part of an agreement Aer Lingus signed with the Malloy administration to lure the air carrier to Bradly and restore nonstop European service to the region.
Aer Lingus launches Bradley to Dublin daily service
Airlines like Aer Lingus need a load factor of at least 85 percent. That means on the Boeing 757 airliners Aer Lingus will use here, which have at least 180 seats, executives expect that 153 seats will be filled.
According to stats kept by the Connecticut Airport Authority, 18,000 passengers took Aer Lingus from January through June. More than 41,000 flew Aer Lingus from Bradley in 2017.
The flight, like all air service, is busier in summer vacation season.
The new agreement calls for a reduced guarantee -- limited to certain winter months -- of not more than $3.8 million in 2018, dropping to not more than $3 million in 2019, and not more than $2 million in 2020, bringing the maximum four-year potential subsidy total to $13.3 million.
Aer Lingus has committed to operating the service in 2021 and 2022 with no subsidy from the state. In addition to state support, in the first two years of the service the CAA contributed to the success of the route with landing fee waivers and marketing money.
Aer Lingus has committed to placing one of its first four A321neoLRplanes on the Bradley to Dublin route, according to the release.
"Bradley International Airport is a major economic driver for Connecticut and it continues to be a key player in our efforts to grow our economy, boost tourism and improve our transportation system," Malloy said in a news release. "Over the last several years, we have focused our efforts on utilizing this valuable resource to spark growth and increase our economic viability. The addition of Aer Lingus at Bradley has strengthened our economic development efforts, and its success in the Hartford region and ability to provide a direct connection to Europe is having an impact."
While serving Dublin, the flight provides easy access to multiple points in Europe and has seen continuous ridership increases year over year since its inaugural flight.
"We are pleased that (the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development) and Aer Lingus were able to come to terms on this new arrangement, as nonstop transatlantic service is a critical component of our strategic growth plan at Bradley International Airport," Connecticut Airport Authority Executive Director Kevin A. Dillon said. "We have maintained a very successful partnership between the Connecticut Airport Authority and Aer Lingus, and we look forward to taking this service to the next level together over the next few years."
Flights leave Bradley at 6:10 p.m. daily, arriving in Dublin at 5:20 a.m. the following day. Return flights leave Dublin at 2:20 p.m. and arrive in Connecticut at 4:20 p.m.
Aer Lingus passengers pre-clear customs in Dublin. They arrive at Bradley just as a domestic passenger would. No long waits at the airport.