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Aer Lingus’ inaugural service to Minneapolis-St. Paul, gateway to the Midwest, has taken to the skies, marking the start of the airline’s 16th transatlantic route.

The new service to Minnesota’s famous Twin Cities is the latest North American destination to be unveiled by Ireland’s flag carrier, as part of its ambition to become the leading value carrier across the transatlantic.

Flight EI089 was operated by a Boeing 757, named after the Irish Saint, Saint Otteran.

The new route will initially operate six times a week, increasing to a daily, year-round service from August.

Up to 2,478 return seats will be available every week.

Minneapolis-St. Paul is Aer Lingus’ 16th transatlantic route following the successful debut of its services to Philadelphia and Seattle last year.

Sean Doyle, Aer Lingus chief executive officer, said: “We are delighted to commence Ireland’s first and only direct service to Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota State.

“The Minneapolis-St. Paul region holds great promise for Aer Lingus particularly in terms of the connections we can offer to UK and European guests as well as those travelling from North America and onwards to Europe.

“As a destination there is both business and leisure appeal and we’re pleased to report that we are geared up for a busy summer.”

Divided by the Mississippi river, North America’s twin cities, Minneapolis and St. Paul, have a lot to offer international visitors.

Most famously, Minneapolis is home to Mall of America.

Located in Bloomington, it is the largest shopping and entertainment centre in the United States and the number one tourist destination in the entire Midwest, attracting over 40 million visitors each year.

Leveraging Dublin’s position as a hub airport, UK travellers flying to North America with Aer Lingus, can enjoy the convenience of connecting from 14 regional UK airports.

Guests can also pre-clear US Immigration and Customs before stepping on board their transatlantic flight, skipping lengthy queues on arrival stateside for a swift and smooth welcome to the US.

Since joining IAG in 2015, Aer Lingus has launched seven new direct transatlantic services to Los Angeles, Newark, Hartford, Miami, Philadelphia, Seattle and now Minneapolis-St. Paul, marking the largest ever transatlantic expansion in the airline’s history.

Source: breakingtravelnews.com