Customers can fly on any one of 109 scheduled Aer Lingus weekly flights now operating

Ireland is the first country in Europe to allow fully vaccinated British citizens to visit quarantine and test-free

Aer Lingus offers flexible ‘Book with Confidence’ booking options and great value with flights starting at £25.99

London 22 July 2021: Aer Lingus is now welcoming British customers back onboard flights between the UK and Ireland, with Ireland opening its doors on Monday July 19th to British travellers for the first time since the pandemic began.

Ireland is the first country in Europe where fully vaccinated British citizens can visit without the need for any COVID-19 tests into or out of the country.There will also be no requirement to self-isolate if fully vaccinated.

Aer Lingus is operating 109 weekly scheduled services between the Republic and the UK from Monday.

Customers will be able to fly from Heathrow to Dublin, Cork and Belfast City Airport in Northern Ireland; from Manchester to Dublin and Belfast City Airport; Birmingham to Dublin and Belfast City Airport; Edinburgh to Dublin and Belfast City Airport and Glasgow to Dublin.

The airline, which continued to fly throughout the pandemic for essential travel and to keep trade links open, has reiterated how maintaining high safety standards and protecting the health of its customers and colleagues is central to its operation.

Peter O’Neill, Chief Operations Officer said: “We are delighted to welcome back our British customers on board now that travel restrictions have been relaxed, reconnecting friends and families that have been kept apart for too long.

“We are looking forward to serving our customers once again and providing them with a warm Aer Lingus welcome from airports across the UK.

“We are delighted to once again be able to do what we do best for more customers- deliver safe international travel.

“Thanks to the air filtration systems on board all of our aircraft, and how air flow is managed on-board, it has been proven that the only other indoor environment with comparable air-quality is an operating theatre.  Safety measures such as mask requirements, additional cleaning, and new boarding and de-planing procedures have been in practice across the airline for the past year. We’re more than ready to welcome more customers back on board.”

Aer Lingus is operating the following frequency on flights between Great Britain, Ireland and Northern Ireland:

Upon arrival in Ireland, all British visitors will need to show proof of full vaccination, such as their NHS App Covid Pass, a vaccination status letter or their NHS vaccine paper card.

Customers without proof of vaccination will need to show evidence of a negative PCR test within 72 hours before arriving and quarantine for 14 days or a minimum of five days if they prove negative with a second PCR test, provided by the Health Service Executive in Ireland on day five.

From Monday 19 July, children under the age of 12 travelling with vaccinated parents/ guardians will not need to take a PCR test prior to travelling to Ireland. However, children aged 12 to 17, who are not fully vaccinated, will need to show a negative PCR test result on arrival in Ireland, even when travelling with fully vaccinated parents/ guardians.

Earlier this year Aer Lingus introduced a range of new safety measures in line with the guidance provided by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the ECDC (European Centre for Disease Prevention & Control).

These additional measures include the mandatory wearing of face masks at all times, by all customers and crew. Social distancing is to be maintained at check in, boarding gates, during boarding and disembarking aircraft.

These procedures, along with an enhanced cleaning system and our state-of-the-art air filtration technology as standard on Aer Lingus Airbus aircraft, to ensure customers have a safe and comfortable flight.

Aer Lingus has introduced new ways to keep bookings flexible should travel plans change, with its ‘Book with Confidence’ proposition.

For more information on the Aer Lingus schedules, please visit www.aerlingus.com.

ENDS

Aer Lingus Book with Confidence Policy

Aer Lingus’ Book with Confidence policy allows all customers travelling with the airline to change their travel dates free of charge*, and as many times as they wish, up to two hours before they travel until. The flexible booking policy is available on all bookings up until 31st December 2021.

Most fares** also include the option to exchange for a guaranteed voucher up to 14 days before travel. In addition, those who booked Advantage, Flex, Business or Business Flex fares have the option of a cash refund if they decide not to travel.

*Please note a fare difference may apply.

** Fare types includes: Plus, Smart, Advantage, Flex, Business or Business Flex fare

About Aer Lingus

Aer Lingus is the national airline of Ireland, founded in 1936. Aer Lingus had over 100 routes, flying direct routes from North America to Ireland and onwards to destinations in the UK and Europe.

Aer Lingus is a 4-Star airline, awarded by Skytrax, the international air transport rating organisation.

Aer Lingus is a member of International Airlines Group (IAG), one of the world's largest airline groups. For more info, visit www.aerlingus.com.