Shannon’s link to US Mid-West strengthened with five flights a week

UNITED Airlines’ seasonal service between Shannon and Chicago was launched last Friday morning.
There will be five flights per week on the route until late August.
James Mueller, United’s vice-president of Atlantic and Pacific sales, was joined by John Hennessey Niland of the US embassy, Deputy Pat Breen, Simon Gregory of Tourism Ireland and Shannon Airport chairperson Rose Hynes at a ribbon-cutting ceremony to inaugurate the service.
Mr Mueller said the service has a lot to offer Irish visitors to the US. “Having operated our Shannon-Newark service successfully for 15 years, this new route will further benefit our customers in Ireland, offering faster access to one of the United States’ most popular business and tourism destinations as well as increased travel options throughout the Americas.”
Ms Hynes said Shannon’s US Customs and Border Protection pre-clearance facility will help passengers. “We are delighted to welcome United Airlines today with this service, which is a huge boost to the tens of thousands annually who travel between the west of Ireland and Chicago. These passengers can now avoid unnecessary transit times by flying directly into and out of the region itself through Shannon Airport. Outbound passengers will also have the advantage of clearing Customs and Border Protection services at Shannon, which will also save them significant time on arrival in the US. No other country in Europe has an airport with this facility.”
United are using 757-200 aircraft on the route, which have a total of 169 seats, including 16 in business class.
Customers arriving in Chicago from Shannon can benefit from convenient onward connections to more than 125 destinations across North, Central and South America, as well as the Caribbean.