Aer Lingus is aiming to turn Dublin into a rival transatlantic hub to Heathrow, claiming a 17.2% rise in passenger numbers on long-haul routes last month compared with June 2012.
The Irish airline carried 100,000 UK passengers to the US via Dublin last year. In the first half of this year it saw a 36% increase in the number of UK passengers using Dublin to travel to North America, it said.
It claims passengers from the UK, especially those from the north of England and Scotland with limited long-haul flights from their local airports, are choosing to fly to Dublin where they can connect with international services to avoid paying the UK’s air passenger duty on the international leg of the flight.
To satisfy growing demand, Aer Lingus will launch a new five-flights-a-week service from Dublin to San Francisco next March and it will also have a new Dublin to Toronto service next summer, increasing its transatlantic capacity by almost 25%.
Chief executive Christoph Mueller told the FT the airline, which is the subject of a hostile takeover bid by rival Ryanair, was looking to buy more slots at Heathrow to launch feeder flights for its long-haul services from Dublin.
It will find out in the autumn whether Ryanair will be forced by the UK Competition Commission to sell its 30% stake in the Aer Lingus.
