Bath-based business travellers heading to the US from next year be able to fast-track through customs and border security to more cities by flying from Bristol Airport via Dublin.
Irish airline Aer Lingus Regional, which has been operating the pre-clearance service to New York for more than a year, is to extend it to Washington from May and San Francisco and Orlando, Florida, from next summer.
The airline, a franchise operated by Stobart Air, links its flights from Bristol and other UK regional airlines, to international departures through the Dublin Airport transatlantic hub. 
Passengers boarding in Bristol complete pre-clearance at the hub, which is operated by US Customs and Border staff. This means they are treated in a similar way to domestic passengers when they arrive in the US – avoiding delays of up to two hours at security checks.
Ireland is the only country in Europe to offer passport and customs pre-clearance to destinations in the US. For Bristol Airport, it fills a gap in its business-related schedule and allows it to compete against Heathrow and Birmingham on transatlantic flights.
The extension of the service comes as Aer Lingus prepares to launch a new business class service next summer on all its transatlantic flights with luxurious flat beds on all its aircraft on the routes, a new cabin service and a new arrivals lounge at Dublin Airport where passengers can shower, change and steam-press their clothes straight after stepping off the plane.
The Bristol to Washington-Dulles Airport service via the Dublin Airport transatlantic hub starts on May 1 and will operate four times weekly.
In the summer Aer Lingus will launch daily flights from Dublin to San Francisco and four weekly flights from Dublin to Orlando.
Stobart Air chief commercial officer Simon Fagan said: “We are very pleased to continue facilitating our Bristol-based customers with alternative routes to the United States.
“This service is designed to save passengers from Bristol time on their transatlantic travel. Now local business and leisure passengers can travel to the American capital of Washington with greater speed and ease.”
Bristol Airport aviation director Shaun Browne added: “We are delighted with this announcement. Washington is mentioned time and time again by passengers as a required destination to be added to the Bristol Airport route network. This is great news, particularly for defence-related industries in the region and the benefits of US pre-clearance via the Dublin transatlantic hub, saving passengers time on arrival in America.”
