Major transatlantic airline Aer Lingus has stopped all sales of long haul flights from Manchester Airport, as of March 31. The Irish airline is well known for its affordable flight options from Manchester to the likes of New York, Orlando and Barbados, alongside servicing the Emerald Isle itself.
The Manchester Aer Lingus base also saw several bouts of strike action late in 2025, disrupting many flights and perhaps projecting a bad omen of things to come.
Official Aer Lingus message
The following message has appeared on the Aer Lingus website:
“Important information – Manchester transatlantic services
“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.
“For full information regarding your rights under EU261 see EU Regulation 261/2004.”
Alternative transatlantic travel from Manchester Airport
The pulling of Aer Lingus transatlantic flights will mean making alternative plans for travel, ranging from flying from other UK bases – London for example – direct to transatlantic destinations, or flying from Manchester to Dublin, then across the Atlantic with Aer Lingus.
Alternatively, other transatlantic airlines that operate from Manchester Airport include British Airways and Virgin Atlantic – though these tend to cost more.
Unite Union’s response
Unite, the leading union representing workers in the civil air transport industry, responded to Aer Lingus’s proposals to potentially close its Manchester Airport base last week. In November, Aer Lingus announced it was considering scrapping its transatlantic routes from Manchester, “putting 200 jobs at risk including almost 130 cabin crew”, according to Unite.
The Unite statement continues: “While it has still not confirmed to Unite whether it will definitely close the base, Aer Lingus has said it will not be selling tickets for these routes beyond 31 March. This has left workers with no clarity on the future of their jobs.
“Aer Lingus is a very profitable airline. In 2025, it reported an operating profit of €135 million for the three months to June, up nearly 50 per cent compared to the same period last year.
“It also had projected profits of around £35 million from just two aircraft operating the three long haul routes at Manchester Airport. While the airline has admitted the Manchester base is profitable, it claims the base has underperformed compared to its Irish long-haul routes.”
For more information and to contact Aer Lingus, go to the website here.