Despite a worldwide disruption in air travel caused by the pandemic, Boston’s Logan Airport has sustained its role as a “Gateway City” for passengers to and from Ireland. Although Aer Lingus canceled its Shannon route, a reduced schedule of flights to Dublin have continued throughout the slowdown.

"Aer Lingus currently have 5 flights a week from Boston top Dublin and I'm not aware of any plans to change that,” Ireland’s Consul General to Boston Laoise Moore told Boston Irish in mid-June. “They are also operating flights to Dublin from New York (JFK) and Chicago.” 

During a teleconference sponsored by the Consulate, Moore said that she wanted to “touch on the travel status between Ireland and the US in both directions, but from a very practical point of view, the Irish government is still recommending Irish citizens not to undertake travel, unless it's essential.

"This is not just to the US - it's around the world, because there is a pandemic. The Irish government doesn't have any restrictions on travel for people coming into the country. For example, US citizens can still travel to Ireland, Irish people can still travel to Ireland, but anybody entering the country from abroad has to isolate for two weeks and it's mandatory. 

"And if you were to fly into Ireland, you would be asked for your contact details, and people will call you to check that you are isolating. We recognize it's quite an onerous requirement, but it is for the health and safety of people. So just to be aware that that restriction is also in place, of course, from the other direction: The US government has placed a ban on travel from most of Europe, which includes Ireland.

"And what it means is that people traveling from Ireland to the US unless they are US citizens or green card holders, or essentially their immediate family, they will not be able to travel to the US at this time. And that's a restriction that is imposed by the US government, which the Irish government would like to see it lifted because we recognize it causes hardship for people. But it's something that is ultimately a decision for the country." 

-ED FORRY