Liverpool John Lennon Airport is to launch an aggressive push to attract more travellers to its North American hub route to New York, Boston, Washington, Chicago and Philadelphia with better connection timings set to boost its appeal. Tony McDonough reports
Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LJLA) aims to attract more passengers to its transatlantic link via Dublin thanks to better connection times.
And LJLA bosses believe this shift will help attract more North American passengers to Liverpool city region too, offering a boost to both the visitor economy and possibly to wider inward investment.
Operated by Aer Lingus, the route connects LJLA with Dublin Airport. At Dublin passengers from the UK can get their US customs clearance in advance before flying on to destinations including New York, Washington, Chicago and Philadelphia.
Speaking at a recent round table discussion, organised by LBN and Liverpool law firm Gregory Abrams Davidson, Paul Winfield, LJLA’s aviation director said: “We have two flights a day between Liverpool and Dublin on Aer Lingus.
“That route has been up and running for three years and has done really well, carrying tens of thousands of passengers a year. However from April 2027 the timings of the Liverpool to Dublin flights will offer a morning service that will provide better connectivity to destinations in the USA and Canada.
Paul added that the pre-customs clearance is a “real selling point” for LJLA. He explained that more convenient connection times will significantly add to the value of the route for people travelling both ways.
“Next year we will run around 60,000 passengers a year on that service, and we are aiming to increase the numbers of passengers travelling to and from North America from Liverpool,” he added.
“There are limited non-stop destinations to North America from the North of England, so why not connect from Liverpool.. The numbers will increase next year because the timings will move and connections become more attractive.
“We have a very valuable slot in Dublin which is great for us and it can drive not just tourism into Liverpool city region but also much needed inward investment.”
Paul also said the airport was still working hard to secure a new global hub route.
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LJLA is currently flying high. 2025 was the busiest in its 92-year history in 2025, handling more than 5.6m passengers. Increased flights from easyJet, Ryanair and Jet2 have boosted those figures.
However, the airport is also keen to emphasise that it has more to offer than just short-haul holiday routes. There is a genuine belief the airport can play a major bigger role in attracting more inward investment to the city region.