Aer Lingus has announced a new route from Ireland West Airport Knock to London Heathrow, which will replace the airline's Knock-Gatwick route.
The new route, which will operate daily, will start on March 26.
Aer Lingus said today's new route reinforces its commitment to Ireland West Airport Knock, as it continues to recover after Covid, with passenger numbers increasing by 314% last year, reaching 89% of the record-breaking year of 2019.
The airline said the new route will replace the current Aer Lingus service to London Gatwick, which will cease operations on March 25.
Customers already booked on this route will be automatically rebooked on a same day flight, it added.
Reid Moody, Chief Strategy and Planning Officer at Aer Lingus, said the new route from Knock to London Heathrow is exciting for Aer Lingus and for the West of Ireland.
"With a direct service to one of Europe's busiest airports, customers from the West will now be able to easily connect from Heathrow to destinations right across the globe," he said.
"The service will also drive inbound tourism at a time when interest in visiting the West of Ireland is very high, with the Oscar nominated Banshees of Inisherin showcasing the beauty of the West of Ireland to millions of people globally," he added.
Joe Gilmore, Managing Director of Ireland West Airport, said the airport is absolutely delighted with today's announcement of a new daily service to London Heathrow with Aer Lingus.
"This is a major development for the West and Northwest regions as it opens up key onward connectivity, through one of Europe's biggest hubs, to over 80 destinations worldwide," Mr Gilmore said.
"The hub status of Heathrow for businesses to connect with the global marketplace is a potential game changer for this region, and from a tourism perspective the service will deliver a significant increase in tourism visits from all corners of the globe," he added.
The news was also welcomed by Tourism Ireland.
"Today's announcement by Aer Lingus is really good news for tourism to Mayo and the Wild Atlantic Way, as we continue to restore growth in inbound tourism," said Niall Gibbons, chief executive of the body.
"As an island destination, we know there’s a proven direct correlation between access and growth in visitor numbers, so this new flight will certainly help boost visitor numbers from Britain."
New Ryanair route from Dublin to Venice
Meanwhile, Ryanair has today announced a new route from Dublin to Venice for Summer 2023.
From April, Ryanair said it will operate seven weekly flights from Dublin to Venice as part of its Summer schedule.
