Great news for Ireland-bound travelers from the Midwest and East Coast: Shannon Airport will soon offer direct scheduled service from Chicago (on United Airlines) and Philadelphia (on US Airways) beginning summer of 2013.
For travelers already in the UK, Flybe will soon launch three flights per week between Shannon and Glasgow. This is the first new route announced by the airport since its formal separation from the DAA in January.
Commencing in early May, the UK airline is offering an additional 10,000 seats through Shannon in 2013 on a route dropped by Ryanair over a year ago. According to the Limerick Leader, the Glasgow route was last operated in October 2011, and the new service will complement the existing flights to Edinburgh.
Best of all: United States citizens can go through customs and immigration at Shannon Airport before departure to speed up their trip home.