Chicago City Wire

Irish Flag Carrier Will Move From Terminal 5 on Jan. 24 to Allow Better Coordination with American Airlines in Terminal 3

Aer Lingus, Ireland’s flag carrier, will move its operations at O’Hare International Airport from Terminal 5 to Terminal 3 on Wednesday, Jan. 24, the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) announced today. 

“Aer Lingus’ move to Terminal 3 will create a more efficient travel experience for the carrier’s passengers, allowing for more seamless connections to the countless domestic destinations O’Hare has to offer,” CDA Commissioner Jamie L. Rhee said. “We welcome this opportunity to make it easier than ever for Chicagoans to visit the Emerald Isle and for Irish passengers to experience everything our world-class city has to offer.” 

New signage, along with Aer Lingus and CDA staff, will be posted in Terminal 5 to direct passengers to the carrier’s new home in Terminal 3, which is accessible from Terminal 5 on the Airport Transit System (ATS). 

Aer Lingus will primarily utilize Gate H15 in Terminal 3, which was previously used by American Airlines. Aer Lingus has served O’Hare International Airport since 1966. The carrier operates its service from O’Hare to Dublin, Ireland, nine times a week, and will increase to 14 times weekly in March ahead of the summer travel season. 

Susanne Carberry, Aer Lingus Chief Customer Officer, said, ‘’Aer Lingus has a long and proud history flying to Chicago since 1966 and the Dublin to Chicago route is consistently one of our top three transatlantic routes. Moving our operations to Terminal 3 in O’Hare International Airport is an exciting milestone and brings us closer with our airline partner American Airlines. 

The move will provide our customers with a more seamless travel experience, greater onward connections on the AA network, and easy transfers to other terminals. Customers travelling to Ireland will be greeted by six dedicated Aer Lingus check-in desks conveniently located in the departure terminal, have access to the AA flagship and admiral lounge, with proximity to centrally located boarding gates, all providing a greatly enhanced customer experience. We’re very much looking forward to welcoming our customer to Terminal 3 on January 24.’’ 

The move will allow for better cooperation between Aer Lingus and American Airlines, which will offer connections from O’Hare to 117 domestic destinations at the peak of this summer’s travel season. Aer Lingus is part of a transatlantic joint venture with American, British Airways, Finnair and Iberia, allowing the airlines to coordinate schedules and fares across the Atlantic. 

Aer Lingus passengers will depart and arrive from Terminal 3. Ireland’s status as a pre-clearance country for U.S. Customs and Border Protection allows passengers to go through U.S. customs in Ireland before departing for the United States without needing to be screened upon arrival. 

Original source can be found here.