An Aer Lingus jet takes off at Manchester Airport.
Aer Lingus has suspended sales of transatlantic flights from Manchester from late March 2026 as it weighs the future of long-haul operations from the UK airport.
The Irish airline is no longer selling transatlantic flights to or from Manchester for travel from March 31 as part of efforts to “minimize customer disruption” should the base operated by its UK subsidiary, Aer Lingus UK, close. The affected routes are Manchester-New York John F. Kennedy, Manchester-Orlando and Manchester-Barbados.
In a statement, Aer Lingus said consultation discussions held in November and December have now moved into a phase focused on mitigating job losses that would occur if the Manchester base shuts.
“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,” the airline said. Aer Lingus added that there is “no impact on Aer Lingus or Aer Lingus Regional flights between Manchester and Ireland.”
Customers already booked on the affected transatlantic services from March 31 onward will be offered refunds or re-accommodation options. “We appreciate our customers’ patience and cooperation during this time and we will be contacting customers directly regarding their flights,” the airline added.
The Manchester base was launched in October 2021 as part of Aer Lingus’s strategy to grow point-to-point transatlantic flying from the UK. Service began with Airbus A330 flights to Barbados, followed by New York JFK operated with A321neo aircraft and Orlando with A330s.
The developments come after months of industrial tension at the base. Cabin crew working on the Manchester long-haul routes have been in a pay dispute and have taken several days of strike action. In November, trade union Unite said the airline had issued redundancy notices to staff.
Aer Lingus has not confirmed that the base will close and said discussions on alternatives to redundancies are ongoing. However, the decision to halt forward sales on the long-haul routes suggests the International Airlines Group-owned carrier is preparing for an exit.
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