Aer Lingus’ US routes operate from Dublin, Shannon, and Manchester. On September 17, the Irish flag carrier announced its next long-haul link: Dublin to Raleigh/Durham. Blocked at up to 8h 30m, it will be among the world’s longest Airbus A321XLR flights. As usual, incentives and other risk-sharing mechanisms underpin this new service. As the North Carolina airport lost out to Nashville, which welcomed its first Aer Lingus flight in April 2025, the new route was expected.