Nashville International Airport (BNA) is aiming to secure a nonstop flight to Dublin, Ireland, through Aer Lingus.
BNA appears to be in competition with Raleigh-Durham Airport (RDU), with ambiguity about whether this means the airports are the top contenders or on a similar level of priority for Aer Lingus.
BNA currently operates a single daily transatlantic flight to London Heathrow with British Airways, but aims to expand its international portfolio.
If Aer Lingus were to add either Nashville or Raleigh-Durham, the new service isn’t likely to start until at least summer 2025, following the arrival of Aer Lingus’ new Airbus A321XLR model.
Roughly 567 people are traveling from Nashville to Europe daily, which BNA hopes to capitalise on by providing more local travel options.
Raleigh-Durham’s transatlantic capacity has recently grown significantly, and Dublin could be one of RDU’s primary unserved transatlantic markets.
According to the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority’s board meeting minutes: “we are trying to sell Ireland right now, and it appears to be between Raleigh Durham or [Nashville]. We have a better business case than Raleigh Durham, although we are 300 miles further distance. Raleigh Durham can get a nonstop flight to Dublin out of Charlotte, we would have to drive to Atlanta. There are a lot of other business reasons why Aer Lingus should come to Nashville vs. Raleigh.”
