Aer Lingus has informed staff and their representatives at Manchester Airport that it will close its base there as its transatlantic operations from the airport will fully cease by March 31.
Aer Lingus employs about 200 people at its Manchester base, which it opened in 2021.
The airline said there will be a phased reduction of some services from mid-February onwards, while the Manchester-New York route will cease operations from February 23.
Aer Lingus said it plans to operate a service from Dublin to Barbados (subject to receipt of necessary approvals) during the months of April and May to reaccommodate affected customers. It also flies to Orlando from Manchester.
It added that there is no impact to Aer Lingus or Aer Lingus Regional (Emerald Airlines) flights between Manchester and Ireland.
The airline said it will continue to engage with staff representative groups to discuss the phased reduction in operations, redeployment opportunities within Aer Lingus or its parent group IAG and the terms of a severance package at Manchester Airport.
"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 airline said in a statement.
It is believed that while the Manchester base has been profitable, the margins there were significantly below those in other comparable parts of Aer Lingus' business.
