Aer Lingus To Start Dublin-Indianapolis Flights Next Year

There’s one more flight connecting the U.S. to Europe, and it’s the first one in years from Indianapolis. Irish airline Aer Lingus will fly between Dublin and the Midwestern city beginning in May next year.

It’s the first transatlantic service for Indianapolis since Delta Air Lines terminated its flight to Paris during the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.

Let’s look at the details and prices of the new service between Dublin and Indianapolis.

Details: New Nonstop Service From Indianapolis to Dublin

It’s the 19th North American destination for Aer Lingus, which has been growing fast in the transatlantic market, adding several smaller U.S. cities to its network. The most recent addition before Indianapolis (IND) was Nashville (BNA), which Aer Lingus announced just earlier this month.

The flight between Dublin (DUB) and Indianapolis (IND) will start on May 3 and will be operated with an Airbus A321neo, flying 4 days a week on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

According to aviation news site Ishrion Aviation, the schedule will be as follows:

• Flight EI83 departs DUB at 2:50 p.m. and arrives at IND at 6:25 p.m.
• Flight EI82 departs IND at 7:55 p.m. and arrives at DUB at 8:50 a.m. the next day

Aer Lingus advertised the new service with fares starting at £499 roundtrip ($650), but we have found much cheaper tickets on its own site. A weeklong round-trip to Dublin in mid-May in economy can be booked for as low as $233.30 for a no-frills Saver fare or $337.80 for a changeable ticket including checked baggage and seat selection.

How the Airbus A321 Made Indianapolis to Dublin Possible

The 3,717 miles between Indianapolis and Dublin are an easy hop for any of the twin-aisle airplanes most often seen on transatlantic flights. But with their large seat and cargo capacity, those jets are too much airplane for routes to smaller cities, where there may not be enough passengers to fill them consistently.

Enter the smaller long-haul, single-aisle jets like the A321neo that Aer Lingus will fly on the route. The Irish airline has already been serving some North American destinations with the A321neoLR — as LR stands for the “long range” version. With enough room for true, lie-flat business class and the range to cross the ocean comfortably, the LR seats 184 passengers in the Aer Lingus layout: 16 in business and 168 in economy.

On the Indianapolis route, the Irish airline may introduce the A321neoXLR, which has an even longer range. U.S. flyers will see more and more of the XLR as it enters service with additional airlines, like United, which also plans to use it across the Atlantic.

Final Thoughts

Good news for people who live in the Midwest: There’s an upcoming nonstop flight from Indianapolis to Dublin, a gateway to many European destinations and a popular city to visit. It’s the latest in a string of new flights to Ireland on Aer Lingus, which uses brand-new Airbus A321 jets on routes to smaller U.S. cities.

With low fares and the opportunity to use credit card points to fly on the route, Indianapolis to Dublin is a welcome addition to the transatlantic market.