Aer Lingus Pulls the Plug on Transatlantic Flights From Manchester

By Mr Plane Guy, Former airline insider, Travel hacker, Plane Honest reviews

Plane News: Aer Lingus has paused sales of all transatlantic flights from Manchester Airport a move that strongly suggests the end of its UK-based long-haul operations.

From March 31, 2026, the carrier is no longer selling tickets on its direct services to New York JFK, Orlando and Barbados from Manchester flights that had been flown with Airbus A330s and an A321neos and formed the core of Aer Lingus UK’s transatlantic network. More from Aer Lingus here.

What’s Happening at Aer Lingus?

According to the airline’s own travel updates page, Aer Lingus is in a “period of uncertainty” around its Manchester transatlantic services, and has stopped selling those flights for travel from 31 March 2026 onward. Aer Lingus

This action effectively grounds the UK subsidiary of Aer Lingus first launched in 2021 and signals a likely shutdown of the base unless a last-minute rescue plan emerges. The Irish Times

However, Aer Lingus insists regional flights between Manchester and Ireland (Dublin/Belfast) via Aer Lingus or Aer Lingus Regional will continue as normal. Most of the existing bookings will likely be transferred and rerouted this way.

Aer Lingus UK

Manchester was a bold experiment. Aer Lingus opened its UK transatlantic base in 2021, competing on routes that traditionally saw heavy Virgin Atlantic and BA traffic. It offered direct flights from the North of England to high-demand destinations like New York, Orlando and Barbados, something business and leisure travellers alike loved. The Irish Times

But sources have been telling journalists for months that the base was underperforming compared with the airline’s Irish hubs, and staff consultations have been ongoing since late 2025.

The airline reportedly told staff that long-haul operations from Manchester “lag significantly” behind its Irish long-haul margins, meaning it simply wasn’t making enough profit to continue. The Irish Times

Additionally, last year’s cabin crew strikes at the base over pay and conditions which affected multiple flights and thousands of passengers, certainly, didn’t help the business case.

A Sad Day for Aer Lingus Manchester Cabin Crew and the Northern Travel Market

While this is undoubtedly significant news for Northern England’s long-haul connectivity, what hits closest to home is how the cabin crew community and staff are finding out about their futures indirectly, through media announcements.

To find out your job’s future through legal consultations rather than open dialogue is tough.

What About the Manchester Transatlantic Routes?

With Aer Lingus pulling its Manchester transatlantic flights off sale:

• New York (JFK) from Manchester looks likely to end

• Orlando (MCO) connections are pulled

• Barbados (BGI) flights are no longer bookable for travel from 31 March 2026 onward. Aer Lingus

Nothing has yet officially been confirmed about whether another airline will fill those gaps and I’m honestly sceptical.

Transatlantic demand has been cooling for leisure flyers with rising fares and capacity shifts post-pandemic. So I don’t currently see a simple one-for-one replacement with carriers. However had it been more a profitable aviation climate then maybe this would have been a great opportunity for a newer entrant such as Norse or Global Airlines, though an extra Barbados seasonal rotation on Virgin Atlantic could make commercial sense if there’s leisure demand to sustain it.

What This Means for Manchester Airport Travellers

If you have a booking on one of these routes:

• Don’t panic-cancel. Hold your reservation until Aer Lingus contacts you, you’re entitled to rerouting or refund under EU261.

• Check your inbox and Aer Lingus account for official communications.

• Expect possible rebooking via Dublin.

Rumours, Timing & the Wider IAG Strategy

There’s been chatter that this Manchester strategy was initially designed to capture market share from Virgin Atlantic and the old Thomas Cook routes, playing to leisure demand out of Northern England.

If I were in the IAG strategy team, there’s a strong case to consider:

• Level (IAG’s low-cost Spanish long-haul brand) operating some of these routes

• Redirecting aircraft/crew to routes with stronger yields (e.g., Cape Town, Cancun, Dominican Republic, Bangkok)

  
  

Final Boarding Call

As someone who flies out of Manchester regularly (including recently), it’s genuinely sad to see this possibility unfold. Manchester is an incredible airport after its huge makeover at Terminal 2 (you can read more about Manchester Airports Airport Lounges here.

But airlines are businesses, and if the economics don’t stack up even with demand, tough decisions get made.

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• Manchester Airport Terminal 1 Is Closing: What This Means for Terminal 3 and Ryanair Passengers

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• Priority Pass Review 2026: One Year of Lounge Access, Was It Worth It?

• TUI Flight Review on Long Haul

Hello I’m Paul a travel and flight expert, I spent most of my career working in and around planes with 15 years providing top-notch service with a London-based airline. I became an expert in travel after soaring across the Atlantic up to 10 times a month!

I’m now, producing travel content, reaching millions of viewers monthly. Reporting on travel news, sharing travel tips, reviews, and deals with a sprinkle of humour and a whole lot of authenticity!

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