Aer Lingus Closes MAN Base, Virgin Atlantic Fills Void

‍Manchester — March 31 is the final day of UK long-haul operations for Aer Lingus (EI) following the closure of its base at Manchester Airport (MAN).

Just a pair of the airline's Airbus A330-300s are based at MAN, flying to three destinations in North America. The first route on the chopping block is New York-JFK, ending February 23, as well as Bridgetown, Barbados (BGI), and Orlando (MCO) at an undetermined date, though the MCO flight has not operated since January 10.

“Aer Lingus acknowledges that this is a very difficult time for colleagues based in Manchester and will seek to ensure that colleagues are kept informed and supported as discussions evolve during the next phase of the consultation,” the Irish flag carrier said in a statement. Continuing, “We understand that this is disappointing news and apologize for the disruption to our customers. All impacted customers are being informed of the cancellation of flights directly and provided with re-accommodation and refund options.”

Earlier this month, Aer Lingus UK (EG) announced it would stop ticket sales for long-haul flights to and from MAN citing its intent to minimize disruption for passengers and crew in the event the base closed, as it did this week. EG was founded in Belfast in 2012 and commenced operations at Manchester in 2021. The intent was to fill a void left by Thomas Cook (MT), which ceased operations in September 2019, and to bring Aer Lingus into direct competition with Virgin Atlantic (VS).

The Manchester base began operations in October of 2021 with one Airbus A330-300, followed later by a second A330 and an A321LR, all transferred from mainline Aer Lingus. The airline served a total of 5 destinations: JFK, BGI, MCO, London-Heathrow (LHR), and Belfast (BHD) in the UK. The A321LR was returned to mainline in 2023 after it was taken off the JFK route in favor of the A330.

After operations at the MAN end, both A330s will be returned to Ireland.

Virgin Atlantic Adds flights

Virgin Atlantic (VS) is stepping up to fill the void left behind by EI's departure from Manchester.

Manchester Airport is one of two hubs for the British carrier, behind LHR, and maintains a significant presence at the airport, with three year-round and two seasonal destinations flown on A330-300s and A350-1000s.

Until today, VS had competed directly with EG on all three routes, which is why the former says it will add 12% more seats on its Orlando (MCO) flight during the peak summer period, with additional flights. The route is served daily year-round with Airbus A350-1000s, featuring a premium-heavy 335-seat configuration in winter and a denser 397-seat layout in summer.

Virgin has also stated its intent to increase capacity in the summer of 2027, with Chief Commercial Officer, Dave Greer, saying: “Manchester has been our home in the North for thirty years, and we’re in it for the long haul. Increasing capacity on our Orlando and New York services is a clear signal of that commitment, ensuring customers can continue to travel across the Atlantic with increased options.”

Furthermore, the airline has stated its intent to welcome “a number of Aer Lingus pilots” into its workforce, and that it is “working closely with Aer Lingus to support customers affected by cancelled services, including reprotecting passengers onto Virgin Atlantic flights where possible.” On paper, this seems like a fairly reasonable transition for the pilots, considering that both airlines fly A330-300s out of Manchester.

No word has been given on what will happen to around 200 staff, including cabin crew, based at MAN.