Irish carrier Aer Lingus has stopped selling tickets for long-haul flights from Manchester Airport to the US and Caribbean from the end of March, the airline announced on January 8. The development is taking place amid growing uncertainty over the future of their base in the city.
The UK subsidiary of the Irish company operates long-haul routes from Manchester to New York JFK, Barbados and Orlando in Florida, as well as flights to Dublin and Belfast.
As per Manchester Evening, reported in November, the company was moving to close its operating base at Manchester Airport, affecting around 200 jobs.
The base has been under scrutiny for some time, and that while underperformance has been an issue, the pay dispute with cabin crew has put further strain on the airline’s patience with the base.
Around 130 cabin crew voted to strike last month after rejecting the airline’s offer of a 12 per cent pay increase and a $15 boost (€13) to their US overnight allowance, bringing it to $130.
At the time, the firm said that its Manchester long-haul operating margin performance 'continues to significantly lag behind that of Aer Lingus's Irish long-haul operating margin' and that they were assessing the base's 'long-term viability.' They said they were entering a consultation period with affected staff.
“Despite all of the work and best efforts of the team, the Manchester long-haul operating margin performance continues to significantly lag behind that of Aer Lingus’s Irish long-haul operating margin.”
In an update issued today, the airline said that would not longer be offering tickets for transatlantic flights from Manchester from March 31 this year, in order to 'minimise customer disruption in the event of a closure of the Manchester base.'
In a statement published on their website, they said:
"We are currently undergoing a period of uncertainty on transatlantic services at our Manchester base."
"To minimise customer disruption in the event of a closure of the Manchester base, which operates transatlantic flights from Manchester to New York, Orlando and Barbados, Aer Lingus is no longer selling transatlantic flights to/from Manchester for travel from 31 March 2026.
"There is no impact on Aer Lingus or Aer Lingus Regional flights between Manchester and Ireland. We appreciate our customers' patience and cooperation during this time and we are contacting customers directly regarding their flights."
In an internal message to staff, reported by The Irish Times, the company said it had 'explored various options for increasing the margin at the Manchester Base' but that 'to date these options do not appear to be viable.'
“The airline has emphasised throughout the consultation process that whilst the Manchester base is profitable, the margins at the base are significantly below that in other comparable parts of Aer Lingus’ business" the circular said.
"During the consultation processes, the airline has explored various options for increasing the margin at the Manchester base, but unfortunately to date these options do not appear to be viable.
“This is despite all of the committed work and best efforts of the Manchester team – a commitment that continues to be seen and is much appreciated, including throughout a Christmas period which has been very challenging from an operational perspective.
“It is our intention to consult over issues, such as what a phased reduction in the operation would look like, both in terms of dates and resourcing, what opportunities exist within Aer Lingus, or indeed within or outside of the IAG group for alternative employment and the possible terms of a severance package at the Manchester base including any arrangements in relation to notice."
A spokesperson for the carrier said:
"While consideration of proposals for avoiding and/or reducing redundancies will continue, it is important to also address contingencies in the event that the base closes."
Union the Irish Airline Pilots’ Association (Ialpa) told the publication:
“Ialpa will be working closely with Aer Lingus management to find solutions and options to mitigate any potential redundancies in the Manchester base."
In addition to cabin crew, around 40 Aer Lingus pilots operate out of Manchester, with around 30 set to be offered the chance to work on routes out of Ireland, with the remainder believed to have been hired out of the UK.
Aer Lingus launched its long-haul flights from Manchester in 2021. Any closure of the base would mean the loss of its flights from Manchester to Disney World in Orlando.
