Travelbiz E-Zine
24
August
2023

Notre Dame and Navy touch down in Ireland for 2023 Aer Lingus College Football Classic

#Traveltradetogether

Opening game ‘Week-Zero’ takes place in Aviva Stadium Dublin. Almost 40,000 Americans travelling to Dublin for the much-anticipated college football clash this weekend.

Aer Lingus is delighted to welcome the teams, their delegations, cheerleaders, marching bands and the tens of thousands of and fans of Notre Dame and Navy who touched down in Dublin this morning for this year’s Aer Lingus College Football Classic.

This Saturday sees Week-Zero, the opening game of the 2023 college football season, take place in the Aviva Stadium, Dublin. The game is set to attract the largest single movement of Americans outside of the US for one singular sporting event – almost 40,000 Americans will cross the Atlantic to Dublin this weekend to attend the sporting spectacle.

As title sponsor Aer Lingus is responsible for transporting the teams and their delegations to Dublin on dedicated chartered flights. This year the airline also supported the travel of Notre Dame’s cheerleaders and marching band who will be creating a huge spectacle for fans at the pep rallies taking place around the city as well as the game itself.

Aer Lingus welcomed almost 1,000 passengers on board from the US to Dublin across the three chartered flights alone:

  • one flight operating from South Bend in Indiana for Notre Dame’s players and coaching staff.
  • one flight from Chicago for Notre Dame’s cheer team and band.
  • one flight from Washington D.C for the Navy players.

The coordination of three charter flights is a huge logistical operation for Aer Lingus and required significant pre-planning across many teams both stateside and in Ireland to deliver a seamless travel experience for the college football delegations. Notre Dame, for example, flew out of South Bend in Indiana which isn’t an airport Aer Lingus typically operates from. To make this happen Aer Lingus’ team on the ground in the US made several site visits to South Bend to ensure the airport could accommodate a larger longhaul aircraft such as the Airbus A330 which operated the Notre Dame Team flight from there.

As well as the teams Aer Lingus also transported 17 tonnes of cargo in advance of the teams’ arrival to have in place in in the Aviva Stadium in Dublin for their pre-game training.

Lynne Embleton, Aer Lingus Chief Executive said: “We play a unique and special role in making the Aer Lingus College Football Classic happen, not just as title sponsor but in flying the teams and the many thousands of US visitors travelling to Ireland for the event. This year’s game will see the single largest-ever movement of US citizens internationally for a sporting event which is a significant milestone and represents a huge opportunity to showcase Ireland as the great destination it is. We extend a warm Aer Lingus to all those travelling to Ireland for the game.”

Next year will see the third game of the Aer Lingus College Football Series take place with Georgia Tech vs Florida State in the Aviva Stadium, Dublin, on Saturday, 24th August 2024.

Subscribe to our E-Zine

    More

    from latest edition

    Halloween Horror Nights Resurrects the Infamous Jason Voorhees in an All-New Haunted House
    13th June 2025

    Halloween Horror Nights Resurrects the Infamous Jason Voorhees in an All-New Haunted House

    Halloween Horror Nights Resurrects the Infamous Jason Voorhees in an All-New Haunted House, “Jason Universe,” Celebrating the Legacy of One of the Most Notorious Killers in Cinematic History, at...

    Read more
    The Maldives Dream is ON! TSN Prize Draw – First Finalists Announced!
    13th June 2025

    The Maldives Dream is ON! TSN Prize Draw – First Finalists Announced!

    Exciting News for the Irish Travel Trade! The moment you've all been waiting for is here! The TSN Maldives Draw has officially begun, and soon one lucky travel agent (and a friend) will be headi...

    Read more
    Tenerife Sales Mission Dublin
    13th June 2025

    Tenerife Sales Mission Dublin

    Our great friend Sara Rivero López (Media Manager) with the Spanish Tourism Office in Dublin brought together a group of Tenerife hotel suppliers on a 2025 sales mission function held in the Mar...

    Read more
    Portugal’s Wild Algarve: Sun, sea and sand – without the crowds
    13th June 2025

    Portugal’s Wild Algarve: Sun, sea and sand – without the crowds

    Travel journalist Deirdre Mullins finds calm, wild beauty, and a slower pace of life on a nature and wellness escape in Sagres and the Vicentine Coast in Portugal. The trail to Praia do Canal be...

    Read more
    Universal Studios Hollywood Announces “Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift,” that will Rocket Guests Up to 72 MPH
    13th June 2025

    Universal Studios Hollywood Announces “Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift,” that will Rocket Guests Up to 72 MPH

    Universal Studios Hollywood announces its “Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift,” the first-ever, high-speed outdoor roller coaster launching in 2026, will debut as the fastest roller coaster in the ...

    Read more
    Riviera Travel Colleagues Experience Transformation in Kenya Through Practical Action Charity Partnership
    13th June 2025

    Riviera Travel Colleagues Experience Transformation in Kenya Through Practical Action Charity Partnership

    Last month, Riviera Travel sent a small group of company delegates to Kenya to experience first-hand how the cruise and tour operator’s long-term charity partner, Practical Action, is supporting...

    Read more