DELTA Airlines has introduced a daily JFK New York flight from Shannon Airport.
The maiden flight is scheduled to depart Shannon on this Satuday (May 25th) with the year-round service bolstering Shannon’s transatlantic capacity, adding to Aer Lingus’ routes to JFK New York, Chicago and Boston.
It marks the reintroduction of Delta’s service which ended abruptly in 2020 when Covid-19 decimated aviation schedules.
Delta Airlines Vice President Matteo Curcio told The Clare Echo that the airline’s domestic network in the USA will greatly increase options for Irish holiday-makers, with Delta connecting to 70 destinations from JFK Airport.
“We now have 35 flights a week going from the US to Ireland. We’ve expanded our transatlantic capacity by 35 per cent at a time when the market is growing by 10 per cent,” said Mr Curcio, adding, “Ireland is the only place in Europe with pre-clearance to the US which is a great customer experience”.
Delta’s only Shannon route comes in addition to its Dublin routes to JFK New York, Boston, Atlanta, and Minneapolis.
At the time of writing, The Clare Echo found that a Delta flight (standard economy) to JFK costs €409 on May 25 while the cheapest Aer Lingus flight available on the same date from Shannon could be purchased for €524.95.
When asked if Delta would be expanding its services and routes from Shannon, Mr Curcio noted that the airline is “always looking for growth opportunities” and that he will be tracking the success of their Shannon to JFK route closely.
Mr Curcio noted that flyers will experience a “different class of service” with the reintroduction of the route being served by the wider Boeing 767, which will give flyers the option of Delta’s “award-winning business class, premium economy, with wider seats and the ability to pre-select your meal on the app before the flight.” They hope to introduce full Wifi to the service by the end of 2024.
Mr Curcio added that demand for experiences over goods has increased since the global pandemic and that Co Clare is well placed to facilitate the American tourist market with its unique mix of attractions on the Wild Atlantic Way along with its golf offering.
CEO of the Shannon Airport Group, Mary Considine said, “Shannon was the first Irish airport that Delta chose to fly into back in 1986 and its fantastic to see them return to Shannon. We are delighted with the restoration of the Delta New York/JFK service. The additional daily service to this important gateway of JFK will further boost connectivity to the US, helping our customers to reach global export markets, attract Foreign Direct Investment and bring international visitors to the West of Ireland – all of which help drive economic activity. We have worked closely with the airline to make it happen”.
She added, “This new service is excellent news for passengers from this region and inbound passengers who wish to explore the Wild Atlantic Way. We have enjoyed a considerable transatlantic market rebound generally since Covid. In addition to New York/JFK services, we also have services to Boston, Chicago and New York/Newark. There is a particular demand for services directly into the west of Ireland through Shannon and we are delighted to be able to facilitate this through airline partners such as Delta.”
