UNITED Airlines has announced it will operate a new daily non-stop seasonal service from Chicago to Shannon from next summer.

The new service will commence on May 26 2023, departing Shannon daily at 9:30am on a Boeing 757-200 aircraft for Chicago O’Hare International Airport, a major US hub.

Commenting on the new service Martina Coogan, United Country Sales Manager Ireland said, “As the only U.S. airline to offer direct flights from Shannon, we are excited to announce this further expansion of our route network from Ireland to the U.S.”

“We expect another busy summer for international travel in 2023 and are proud to build on our industry-leading global network to offer our customers in the west of Ireland even greater travel choice and the possibility to connect via our U.S. hubs to other destinations across the Americas,” said Ms Coogan.

This new daily Chicago service will be an addition to the daily service to Newark/New Jersey that United operate at Shannon and which is set to return on April 8 2023.

United previously operated a Shannon/Chicago service from 2013 to 2017. At that time, the airline operated five-times weekly, the 2023 service will see it expand to a seven day a week service, bringing a welcome uplift for the regional economy.

It is envisaged that this new route has the capacity to generate an additional 30,000 passengers through Shannon Airport next year, supporting the West of Ireland economy in terms of business connections and an increase in tourism numbers.

Independent Clare TD Michael McNamara has described the announcement as a “huge win” for tourism and business in Shannon, County Clare and the wider region.

Deputy McNamara said the summer service, which commences on 26 May 2023, also will benefit the business sector with direct flights to one of the biggest airport hubs in the United States.

“US visitors to Ireland have increasingly been entering the country through Dublin Airport since this flight was removed from the schedule at Shannon Airport in June 2020,” he stated. “This has proved damaging to tourism and business in the region, which is why this news will be very much welcomed by both sectors.”

Deputy McNamara outlined that the announcement would enable visitors from the US Midwest to base themselves in the West of Ireland when booking their trips for 2023.

He explained, “A Clare tourism delegation that recently returned from Milwaukee Irish Fest in Wisconsin reported significant interest amongst the 140,000 festivalgoers in booking trips to Ireland through Shannon Airport, but the absence of such a service from Chicago made the job even more difficult. The significance of this announcement for tourism in Clare cannot be understated.”

Welcoming the news Mary Considine, CEO, The Shannon Airport Group said: “Today’s announcement by United Airlines that they plan to expand their network at Shannon with a new daily service between Shannon Airport and its hub at Chicago O’Hare airport next year is fantastic news for our customers and for our staff at The Shannon Airport Group. Chicago is a really important U.S. gateway and is a positive addition to the daily services we already offer from Shannon to New York, Boston and Newark/New Jersey.

“Over the years Shannon has performed strongly supporting the local economy with flights to and from North America, boosting tourism and benefitting the business community. Our aviation development team have been working hard over the last few years to secure the return of this popular service.

“United Airlines are a valued airline partner at Shannon. They began operating from our airport in 1998, and since then have carried over 2.2 million passengers.

“With our US preclearance facilities, passengers flying from Shannon can arrive in the U.S. as domestic passengers, saving them considerable time. This, combined with our new security screening system will cut the journey time for passengers and delivers on our promise to make it easy for them.

“This announcement is proof that United Airlines sees further opportunities for growth at Shannon and we look forward to working closely with them on delivering those extra passengers,” said Ms Considine.

The United Airlines services to Chicago and Newark/New Jersey for 2023 are now on sale at www.united.com. To book holidays or city breaks from Shannon Airport visit www.flyshannon.ie