Flights from Ireland to the US for as little as €59 will be available soon after Norwegian Air was given clearance from the Federal Aviation Administration.
The permission was under threat because of President Trump’s clampdown on the US travel and immigration laws, but it has now been granted so Irish travellers can begin planning their trips.
It is expected that Norwegian Air will fly up to 12 times a week from Dublin to airports in New York and Rhode Island.
Tickets could be available for as little as €59 one way, although the average prices for a return are expected to be around €285 to €332.
As well as the service to and from Dublin, there will also be three flights a week from Cork Airport.
The Dublin services will initially fly to both Stewart Airport, about 90km north of New York city, and TF Green Airport, in Providence, Rhode Island, more than 100km from Boston.
The Cork service will be to and from Providence to start with, but there are plans to add services to the New York airport from Cork.
The clearance for the transatlantic flights is a major boost for Irish businesses and tourism groups.
Munster MEP Deirdre Clune, and the current and former Minister for Transport have all lobbied Washington to approve Norwegian Air’s application to fly to the US.
There had been some questions about how many more passengers Dublin could handle, and whether it was running at full capacity. Major airlines Aer Lingus and Emirates were two of the big name brands that had raised concerns.
The addition of the Cork service could take some of the pressure off. Last year, Dublin Airport saw 27million passengers go through its doors, compared to 2.3million at Cork.
