NOTTINGHAM will be marketed as a holiday destination in the USA, according to an airline now flying out of East Midlands.
Irish company Aer Lingus has announced that it will launch flights next year which will see twice-daily journeys from East Midlands airport to Dublin.
As part of the move, travellers will be able to catch an Aer Lingus flight to the USA and go through border control there rather than in America.
Passengers will be treated as if they had taken an internal flight in the USA, avoiding delays.
And Simon Fagan, of Aer Lingus, said the company - which has a significant business in Chicago, New York and Boston - would now be marketing Nottingham as a viable option for travel abroad.
He said: "We've now put the East Midlands on the map - we have a significant promotion team in the US who advertise Ireland and beyond - we've now added the East Midlands to that."
Andy Cliffe, managing director of the airport, added: "From a Notts perspective that's really important. This is one of the biggest areas for economic prosperity outside London.
"I sit on the Experience Nottinghamshire board and work with local enterprise groups. One of my key objectives will be to make sure these guys are all plugged in and the business market is vital and behind this service."
It is expected that 70,000 passengers a year will use the new services.
