Aer Lingus flights from Pittsburgh to Dublin begin in May, but the airline’s marketing director Lisa Melarkey will be in town this weekend to attend the city’s St. Patrick’s Day parade. Melarkey said Aer Lingus plans special promotions to coincide with the parade.
“There’s a really big opportunity for us to bring Western Pennsylvania to Ireland, but also to bring Ireland to Pennsylvania, which is even more exciting,” Melarkey told TribLive.
She said the connection to Pittsburgh’s “beautiful” new terminal is the company’s 24th U.S. destination. This one is special for several reasons, not least of which is the region’s extensive connections to the Emerald Isle — between 10 and 20% of area residents report Irish ancestry.
That international connection is evident everywhere from the parade that draws as many as 300,000 people into Downtown to the Steelers’ September 2025 game in Dublin that kicked off a four-year partnership with Aer Lingus. The football connection will deepen with a 2027 game in Dublin between Pitt and Wisconsin.
“What we achieved together, and obviously the Steelers, what they achieved in Dublin in September of last year, will go down in history,” Melarkey said. “The pride and the vibe around the city that week was unlike anything I’ve ever witnessed before.”
TribLive asked Melarkey about Aer Lingus’ upcoming direct Pittsburgh-Dublin flights and what Pittsburghers can expect from the airline in the near future. The following interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Why did Aer Lingus choose Pittsburgh as one of the places to expand in the U.S.?
Last year, we brought the Steelers and all of its fandom to Dublin, and we’re always looking at new opportunities within the U.S. The Pittsburgh route will actually be our 24th gateway within the U.S. We’re constantly trying to increase our footprint. But why Pittsburgh? So I suppose, when you think about the opportunity in terms of tourism, there are connections with our technology and pharma [industries], and there is a really big Irish American tie.
For travelers, this is also a new connection from Pittsburgh to Europe. What are some of the more popular connections through Aer Lingus?
There are more than 30 European destinations that we can connect travelers to through Dublin. Some of the really popular ones [include] Amsterdam, Paris, Rome, London, Madrid, Barcelona. So there’s really, there’s really opportunities and something for everybody, depending on whether you’re looking for your own city and break or you’re looking for something a little bit more sun and leisure. So there’s loads of opportunities here … It’s a one-stop trip, but there’s loads of opportunity there for a range of different audiences and customer requirements.
Sometimes, people feel squeezed by service, or feel like airlines are a little less personable than they used to be. From your perspective, what makes Aer Lingus different?
I’m not sure if you’re aware of this. This is actually our 90th year, so when we are leaving Pittsburgh and landing into Dublin, it will be our 90th birthday. We’re really excited about that. And we’re over 60 years bringing customers across the Atlantic.
Something that we’re very proud of, our hospitality and warmth and charm is something that is known globally. … The aircraft that we will be operating four days a week will be an Airbus A321neo, which is a really modern aircraft with 16 business-class seats. The other unique feature of our hub is the fact that when you’re returning back to Pittsburgh, you will re-clear U.S. Customs in Dublin. So when you land back in the U.S., you are actually landing back as a domestic passenger.
What are some of the destinations or highlights in Ireland you would suggest Pittsburghers check out, some that are a little more off the beaten path?
Obviously Ireland in itself is quite a small country, probably north to south you’re talking seven, eight hours in the car, which for somebody from the U.S., that’s not so bad. Dublin, Galway, Kerry, they’re all probably more popular destinations. And Belfast [in Northern Ireland, part of the United Kingdom] is full of history, full of culture. It’s a really modern city now; it’s got a really cool, contemporary vibe.
You’ve done some really fun campaigns, like in Nashville, Aer Lingus did the “Irish exit” ads. I’m curious if you’re planning anything exciting for the parade this weekend.
I can’t divulge any of our plans, but we do plan to come in with a big bang! We’ll have a crew presence. Myself and other members of the wider team will be there, as well. … Getting to come to the Pittsburgh parade, which is one of the largest within the U.S., we want to make sure that people can avail themselves of the flights that we have going out in May, so we’ll have really good promotional offers.