From 26 March, the daily service to Ireland’s west coast will operate from Heathrow instead of Gatwick. Customers booked on the Gatwick route will automatically be rebooked onto a same-day Heathrow flight.

Aer Lingus said moving the route to Heathrow would "drive additional point-to-point demand and increase connecting traffic".

More than 40% of Ireland’s inbound visitors currently come from the UK; Aer Lingus said the new route would help Tourism Ireland deliver on its aim to take advantage of a growing "screen tourism" trend, with the country serving as a backdrop for a number of hit films.

These include Oscar-nominated Banshees of Inisherin, starring Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, which showcases western Ireland.

Knock, said Aer Lingus, is also a gateway to the Wild Atlantic Way, with nine of its 15 viewpoints located within an hour to and hour and 20-minute drive from the airport.

In addition, Aer Lingus said renewing the route underlined its commitment to Knock, which reached 89% of record-breaking 2019 passenger volumes last year, despite still emerging from the pandemic.

Travellers impacted by the change of route will be rebooked at no additional cost, with Heathrow flight times similar to the existing Gatwick service. They can also choose to re-route with Aer Lingus, rebook to a later date, take a voucher, or opt for a refund.