It’s the fifteenth route to North America operated by Aer Lingus, which is part of the IAG airline group that also includes British Airways, Iberia and Vueling.
Aer Lingus chief executive Stephen Kavanagh revealed the new route this morning.
Seattle – nicknamed the Emerald City – has been a likely destination for Aer Lingus. It is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region of North America with world-class business links – Amazon is headquartered in Seattle and Microsoft has its headquarters just outside the city. Microsoft has its European base in Ireland, while Amazon has a significant presence there also.
Seattle is also home to Starbucks and massive manufacturing facilities of aircraft maker Boeing, which is now headquartered in Chicago. The city also boasts many wonderful attractions for visitors.
The Seattle Center, location of the 1962 World’s Fair, has become a premier destination for arts, entertainment and leisure activities. The 74-acre campus is home to The Experience Music Project, The Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum, and The Space Needle.
Downtown Seattle hosts the Seattle Art Museum, The Seattle Symphony, and Pike Place Market.
Historic Pioneer Square is the destination for the Seattle Underground Tour, and is adjacent to CenturyLink Stadium and Safeco Field.</p>
Speaking about the new route, Mr Kavanagh said: “We believe this service will offer great value choices to our guests and further enhance Ireland’s trade and business links with the US.”</p>
Aer Lingus will operate the service to Seattle from May 2018 using an Airbus A330. It will fly four times a week, on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
Fares to Seattle start from €259 each-way including taxes and charges, when booked as a return trip.
Last month, Aer Lingus announced the launch next year of a new route between Dublin and Philadelphia. The airline also recently launched a service between Dublin and Miami.
The carrier has created 600 jobs in the past three years as it expanded its network in North America.
The airline’s continuing strategy is to cement the use of Dublin Airport as a primary European hub for traffic to North America.
Since it was acquired in 2015 by IAG, Aer Lingus has launched services to other US cities such as Hartford, Connecticut, and relaunched routes to Los Angeles and Newark.
