Talks have been underway with the airline for a year.
Aer Lingus has announced it's establishing nonstop service between Dublin and Bradley International Airport serving Connecticut and western Massachusetts.
The Irish airline, Governor Dannel Malloy, and other state officials announced Wednesday the September 2016 start of the service. It's the first transatlantic service since Northwest Airlines halted flights between Connecticut and Amsterdam in 2009.
Talks have been underway with the airline for a year, and the state is thought to be offering a $5 million incentive package to the Irish carrier.
Mary Ellen Jones, Chair of the Connecticut Airport Authority, described the deal as a major turning point "for our region’s tourism industry, our business community and the economy as a whole."
Jones told a news conference announcing the flight: "Bradley is more than just an airport. It is a key economic driver for our state with a major impact on the region’s business climate."
The once-daily flight will serve as gateway to 28 European cities.
Jack Foley, executive vice president of Aer Lingus, said it will also bring European travelers to the Hartford region.
"We work in the business community market, leisure coming in and going out," said Foley. "We anticipate 50 percent of the plane will be customers coming into your area. So on a 180-seat plane, do the math: that’s roughly 80 or 90 people every day that will be coming into your area with an average stay of five days."
The service will consist of one evening departure from Bradley at 6:20 pm, arriving in Dublin at 5:20 am, and one afternoon departure from Dublin at 2:30 pm and arriving at Bradley at 4:40 pm.
Malloy said the air service will connect Connecticut to new business and economic development opportunities. He also hinted there may be more announcements in the near future about Bradley. The airport is known to have been in talks with a discount Norwegian carrier that’s interested in bringing cut-price transatlantic travel to Connecticut.
Bradley currently offers international flights to Canada and Mexico.
This report contains information from The Associated Press.
