AIR passengers will have the opportunity to fly to a new US destination from Cornwall Airport Newquay.

Aer Lingus has launched a brand new route between Dublin and Raleigh-Durham in North Carolina, which takes off in April 2026.

Cornish passengers will be able to take a connecting flight in Dublin and take advantage of US pre-clearance.

The flights will connect the cities of Raleigh and Durham directly to Ireland for the first time and serve the wider State of North Carolina, with its population of more than 11 million. The year-round route will operate up to five times weekly on Aer Lingus.

Michael Landguth, the president and CEO of the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority, said: “Dublin is a high-demand international destination for travellers from the Research Triangle region, and we are proud that Aer Lingus has chosen RDU for this nonstop service.

“The Aer Lingus flight will provide a quick and convenient journey to Ireland and beyond for tourism, business and educational opportunities.”

Lynne Embleton, the CEO of Aer Lingus, added: “We’re delighted to be adding Raleigh-Durham International Airport to our growing North American network.

“It’s a vibrant and thriving region with well-established links to Ireland, that will be further strengthened with our new direct service.

“In addition to new this new route, our 2026 plans reflect another year of growth with increased frequency on our established network, and more choice for our customers. We’ll be serving 26 destinations across North America in 2026, reinforcing Aer Lingus as a popular choice for North Atlantic travel.

“We’re planning more frequency to popular new destinations Nashville and Indianapolis which launched earlier this year, as well as strengthening our schedule to cities already well established on our network, such as New York, Boston and Orlando.”