An American airline is start operating two new services to Dublin and Shannon next year.
US Airways said they would fly from their Philadelphia hub to both airports, beginning in the new year.
Aer Rianta said it had beaten off stiff European competition to secure the route, and the development followed six months of negotiations.
The company chairman, Mr Noel O'Hanlon, said the new services would strengthen passenger growth on the trans-Atlantic route and were a direct result of a recently-announced traffic incentive scheme at his company's airports.
"I can assure US Airways that we will work with them to make this route a success," he said.
Aer Rianta also welcomed today an announcement by the Braathens airline to begin a three-days-a-week service from Dublin to Oslo, Norway, from next March.
Braathens, owned by Scandinavian Airlines, said the service would bring benefits to both business and tourist travel between Norway and Ireland.
The Dublin-Oslo service was previously operated by Scandinavian Airlines up to October, 2001, when it closed because of the international air industry downturn.