The first aircraft to the windy city departing from Shannon Airport’s new Chicago service with United Airlines took off on Friday.
Excited passengers boarded the Boeing 757-200 at 8:50 yesterday morning in preparation for the 9.30am departure of the first daily seasonal Chicago service from Shannon to O’Hare International Airport.
Shannon Airport Group CEO Mary Considine commented during a gate ceremony to honour the event: “This is a significant boost for Shannon Airport, and we are delighted to have this direct daily seasonal service to Chicago back serving the transatlantic market. United Airlines are a valued airline partner at Shannon and this service shows the continued appeal of Shannon and the West of Ireland.”
Flying to New York, Boston, and Newark is already available every day from Shannon.
Shannon has US pre-clearance just like Dublin Airport, allowing travellers to enter the US with the same status as domestic travellers and gain extra time for their vacation or connection flight.
Over 2.2 million people have been transported by United Airlines since they started flying out of Shannon Airport in 1998.
Between 2013 and 2017, the airline had a route between Chicago and Shannon. Five times a week were when the airline was in operation. An extra 42,000 people can be brought through Shannon Airport by the 2023 service, which runs seven days a week.
This year, Shannon Airport offers 35 routes to 11 different destinations in the EU, UK, and USA.Shannon Airport this year offers 35 routes to 11 different nations in the EU, UK, and USA.