26/05/2023 Over 42,000 seat capacity expected to create new business and tourism opportunities It’s take-off for Shannon Airport’s new Chicago service with United Airlines today as the first flight takes to the skies towards the windy city. At 8.50am this morning, excited passengers boarded the Boeing 757-200 aircraft departing at 9.30am, for the first daily seasonal Chicago service from Shannon bound for O’Hare International Airport. Speaking at a gate celebration to mark the occasion, Mary Considine, CEO of The Shannon Airport Group said, “This is a significant boost for Shannon Airport, and we are delighted to have this direct daily seasonal service to Chicago back serving the transatlantic market. United Airlines are a valued airline partner at Shannon and this service shows the continued appeal of Shannon and the West of Ireland. “Chicago is an important U.S. gateway and is a really positive addition to the daily services we already offer from Shannon to New York, Boston and Newark. With a seat capacity of over 42,000, this strategic Chicago route not only benefits leisure and tourism travellers, but this direct service also provides important additional business connectivity for our customers. “With our US preclearance facilities, passengers flying from Shannon can arrive in the U.S. as domestic passengers, saving valuable time, especially for connecting flights. The enhanced security screening system we installed during the Pandemic has eliminated the need to remove liquids and electronics from cabin bags, halving the time for our passengers in this area. This provides an added benefit for U.S. bound passengers, as along with this, Shannon is the first airport in the world to provide a combined EU/TSA security screening system, meaning passengers only have one security check, making their journey through Shannon even easier,” continued Ms Considine.